Crispy Meat & Seafood Roll
Submitted by itshelen
Shrimp, chicken, water chestnuts, and Chinese ham wrapped in pork caul fat, deep-fried into crispy golden rolls, and served with hoisin dipping sauce. An impressive Chinese banquet appetizer with showstopping presentation.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
10 minREADY
This is Chinese banquet cooking at its most spectacular.
Diamond-cut shrimp, chicken, water chestnuts, and mushrooms are seasoned with Chinese wine and sesame oil, then wrapped with cured ham and fresh coriander in delicate pork caul fat. Bamboo shoot strips poke out like little “legs” as each roll gets coated in egg white batter and deep-fried to a shattering golden crisp.
The optional potato basket garnish with steamed crabs takes the presentation to another level entirely. Served with a warm hoisin dipping sauce, this is the kind of dish that silences a table.
Variations
- Skip the pork caul and use bean curd skin or edible rice paper for an easier-to-source wrapper.
- Substitute celery for water chestnuts if fresh ones aren’t available. You’ll still get that clean crunch.
Chef Tips
- Cut all filling ingredients at an angle into diamond shapes. This isn’t just for looks; angled cuts create more surface area and better texture.
- Medium heat for frying. Start at medium for 3 minutes, then bump the heat slightly for the final 3 minutes. This ensures the filling cooks through while the outside crisps.
- Slide the rolls in carefully with folded ends facing the center of the wok so they don’t unravel.
- Pork caul fat melts during frying and bastes the filling from within. That’s the magic of this wrapper.
Ingredients
Directions
Optional basket garnish:
Steam crabs and put aside.
Form potatoes into basket shapes.
This can be done by peeling them into long strips, which are then interwoven, and sealed with cornstarch paste.
Deep-fry baskets over medium flame until golden.
Slice all filling ingredients at an angle, and cut into diamond shapes (which creates a better texture).
Season with seasoning mixture.
Slice bamboo shoots into 12 strips each 5 cms long and 0½ cms wide.
Divide pork caul lining into 12 triangular pieces (large enough to wrap “legs")
Cut ham into 24 strips.
On to each pork caul lining lay one sprig of coriander, 2 strips of ham, and 1/12 of the diamond-cut filling ingredients.
Place one strip of bamboo shoot on top, with half of it left outside wrapping.
Fold and mould each filled pork caul lining into leg shape.
Mix coating ingredients with 2 tablespoon water, and coat each “leg” with the paste.
Mix Hoisin sauce with water, and simmer until thickened.
To cook Carefully slide “legs” into medium-hot oil (sufficient to deep-fry all twelve at same time), with folded “leg” ends facing centre of wok.
Deep-fry for 3 minutes, then increase heat a little and continue deep- frying for a further 3 minutes.
To present Lay “legs” on a paper doily in serving dish, arranging the potato baskets and crabs as a central garnish. Serve the Hoisin sauce mixture on the side.
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