Lumpiang Shanghai

Filling

• pork mince500 g
• carrots1
• onions1
• garlic cloves3
• spring onions3
• soy sauce1 tbsp
• eggs1
• salt1 tsp
• black pepper½ tsp

Rolling and frying

• spring roll wrappers25
• eggs1
• sunflower oil750 ml

Dipping sauce

• rice vinegar100 ml
• water100 ml
• caster sugar80 g
• tomato ketchup2 tbsp
• garlic cloves1
• cornflour2 tsp

Filling

1. 01

   Take the spring roll wrappers out of the freezer and leave them to defrost in their packet. Finely grate the carrot, chop the onion and garlic very finely, slice the spring onions finely and beat one of the eggs. Mix the pork with the carrot, onion, garlic, spring onions, soy sauce, beaten egg, salt and freshly ground black pepper with your hands for 1 minute, until the mixture turns tacky and clings to itself. A loose filling slumps out of the ends while the rolls fry.

2. 02

   Fry a teaspoon of the mixture in a few drops of the sunflower oil in a small pan until cooked through with no pink left, then taste it. This is the only chance to correct the seasoning, and it should taste slightly salty on its own.

3. 03

   Cover and chill the filling for 20 minutes. Cold filling is far easier to roll into a thin, even line.

Dipping sauce

4. 04

   Crush the garlic and put it in a small pan with the vinegar, all but 1 tablespoon of the water, the sugar and the ketchup. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

5. 05

   Slake the cornflour in the remaining tablespoon of water, stir it in and simmer for 1 minute until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Cool to room temperature before serving; it thickens further as it cools.

Rolling and frying

6. 06

   Beat the second egg in a small bowl. Peel off one defrosted wrapper and lay it as a diamond with a point towards you, keeping the rest under a damp tea towel so they do not dry out and crack.

7. 07

   Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling into a line about 10 cm long across the lower third, and pat it into a thin sausage no thicker than your thumb.

8. 08

   Fold the near point over the filling and press it down to squeeze out any air, fold in both sides, then roll up tightly and seal the far point with the beaten egg. Air pockets expand in the oil and split the roll.

9. 09

   Repeat with the rest, laying the finished rolls out in a single layer rather than stacking them.

10. 10

    Heat the sunflower oil to 170°C in a deep pan; it should be at least 4 cm deep. Lower in three or four rolls at a time and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over. At this temperature the pork cooks through before the wrapper colours too far; cut the first one open to check the filling has no pink left.

11. 11

    Lift onto a wire rack, not kitchen paper, so steam escapes and the undersides stay crisp. Let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.

12. 12

    Cut each roll in half on a sharp diagonal and serve hot with the dipping sauce.