Recipe: Baby Egg Rolls with Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce

BABY EGG ROLLS WITH SOY SESAME DIPPING SAUCE

"It's always a pretty scary proposition when my kids come onto the show to cook with me. Unlike almost all of my other guests, they're not chefs or grown-ups or practiced television performers. They're sweet and funny, of course, but they are children, and they're unpredictable, which is to say unscriptable, and that can be pretty nerve-racking.

We developed this recipe in anticipation of a show with my kids. I was trying to think of all their favorite foods and what they might enjoy preparing as well as eating. Chinese egg rolls seemed like a good idea at first, but egg rolls are deep-fried, and we were not about to fire up a pot of hot oil with the kids around. Our solution was to develop a lighter version, in which the egg rolls are sauteed with just a little oil in a nonstick pan. We put in all the ingredients from the original recipe, including tofu, and the kids just loved them-- and loved making them, too.

This was a very pleasant surprise. I'd made healthy homemade versions of some of the kids' fast-food faves when they were younger, but somehow my lovingly prepared macaroni and cheese, pizza, and baked coated chicken tenders just couldn't compete with mac and cheese from the box, pizza from the dollar-a-slice spot on the corner, and those insidious little brand-name chicken nuggets.

I have since perfected this recipe and made it many times with my kids and their cousins, Katie and Peter. These egg rolls make great hors d'oeuvres for kids and grown-ups alike. If you make a double batch, you can freeze half for the next time. But when the time comes, don't bother to defrost them first. Cook them straight out of the freezer, giving them just a little extra time in the pan."

FOR THE EGG ROLLS:
1/4 cup olive oil
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
One 1/2-pound boneless pork chop, cut into thin strips
2 scallions, white and 1 inch of the green parts, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
1 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
1/4 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
30 square wonton wrappers*
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil**
2 teaspoons sugar

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the pork and stir until it turns white, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.

Add the scallions, carrot, and red pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the cabbage, stock, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Return the pork to the skillet and let the contents of the skillet cool to room temperature. You should have about 2 cups.

TO MAKE THE EGG ROLLS:
Lay the wrappers flat on a work surface. Brush the edges lightly with water. Top with about 1 tablespoon of the filling and roll into a cylinder, tucking in the sides and pressing the edges to seal. (The egg rolls can be frozen at this point.)

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, add the rolls and cook, turning often with tongs, until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

TO MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE:
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir well and serve on the side with the rolls.

*Available in the frozen food section of many supermarkets or at Asian markets.

**Available at most supermarkets or see Mail Order Sources.

Makes 30 egg rolls
Excerpted from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home by Sara Moulton
Copyright 2002 by Sara Moulton. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.