Thai Spring Rolls with Asian BBQ Chicken

A few weeks ago, we went to try a new restaurant in town and got their spring rolls as an appetizer.  After that, I was craving them like crazy.  We'd made them before, I knew how simple they were, but I couldn't remember why the hell we didn't eat these largely phallic delicious, nutritious goodies more often!  (Perhaps because I like to mention to my hetero life mate how phallic they are?  Could be.)

I almost feel guilty even posting this as a recipe (especially without a peanut sauce recipe), because there's really nothing to it, it's just baking some chicken, chopping up veggies, cooking some noodles, and rolling them up.  But I don't know many people who make spring rolls at home... and maybe it's because they didn't know how easy they were. 

A note about the peanut sauce: I can't really post a recipe for it, simply because I used a random recipe I found online for a non-cook peanut sauce, and it came out like peanut butter with garlic in it.  So, rather than tossing it, I thought I'd try to save it... I threw it in a pot, put it on the stove, added more coconut milk, more soy sauce, more fish oil, some rice vinegar, and more garlic.  However, in my haste to not waste almost a whole jar of peanut butter, I didn't write down what I added.  It actually came out pretty tasty, but I can't even begin to guess at measurements.  So... you could go to your local Asian store and buy a peanut sauce, or you could find a recipe on line to make one.  I'll have to find a different way of making one and post it later.

I think I posted a Fugazi song a few recipes back, but I heard their song "Ex-Spectator" the other day and had forgotten how much I loved it.  And... you could make these spring rolls with tofu or just veggies, so it could very easily and deliciously be a vegetarian dish that even Ian MacKaye could love. -jen

THAI SPRING ROLLS WITH ASIAN BBQ CHICKEN

• 3 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• 3 tablespoons Hoisen sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3-4 tablespoons Thai peanut sauce
• bean thread (or cellophane) noodles
• rice paper wrappers
• butter lettuce leaves
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped into matchsticks
• whole basil leaves
• whole mint leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (this helps clean up tremendously.)  Peel the skin back from the chicken thighs and place a tablespoon of Hoisen on the chicken, coating the top of it (this gives it that barbecue taste).  Place skin back over the chicken.  Sprinkle each thigh with a tablespoon of soy sauce, and then rub a tablespoon of peanut sauce over each chicken skin.  Bake on lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes, until inner temp reaches 160 or until juices run clear.  Allow to cool.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard, then take the meat off the bone and place meat into a food processor.  Grind the meat until it is finely chopped (but don't process it too much or it'll turn into a paste!)  It should be about the same consistency as canned tuna or chicken.  Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package (usually at a boil for 12-15 minutes, until clear and al dente).  Drain and set aside.

Prepare rice paper one at a time.  Take a large dinner plate or pie plate and add hot water.  Press the dry wrapper into the water and using your finger tips, gently move the wrap back and forth a little until it reaches an edible pliability (about 30 seconds).  Carefully, so as not to tear the wrap, remove it from the water and lay on counter top, cutting board, or even a kitchen towel.  Wrapper will be wet, but dries quickly.

Arrange your vegetables in your wrap.  I found the best way was to put two layers of lettuce on the bottom, being sure that you leave about 1" of wrapper on each side (like you would for a burrito, so you can tuck the ends in).  Add a layer of the basil and mint leaves.  Then your chopped scallions, followed by the cucumber matchsticks and the shredded carrot.  Take a handful of noodles and shape them to fit over your vegetables.  Then mold 3-4 tablespoons of the ground chicken on top of the noodles.

Pull the bottom of the wrapper tightly (but carefully!) over your filling, give it a roll, tuck in the left and right sides, and finish rolling.


You'll want to place a damp paper towel over your finished rolls as you make them.  And I found a good way to store them is by wrapping them in damp paper towels and putting them in a Ziploc bag.

Serve with a peanut sauce for dipping.  Makes about 8 spring rolls.

Rancid Recipes #2: Shanghai Fried Noodles with Chicken Stir Fry; Egg Drop Soup; Pork and Shrimp Egg Rolls

Song Title: Arrested In Shanghai
Album: Indestructible (2003)
Lyrics: "In my cell there is no sky, when I was arrested in Shanghai"

Good mellow song.  Cursed with an overactive imagination, I end up thinking of horrifying images of what prison in Shanghai might be like.  Makes me think of the movie "Midnight Express". Chilling.  But back to the food!  I haven't had a lot of experience with making Chinese food, only a few different dishes over the last few years.  I came up with a few recipes tonight and wasn't feeling so confident about how it was turning out.  However, I'm glad to say that the dinner was a delicious success - fantastic Chinese food without a delivery fee! -jen

SHANGHAI FRIED NOODLES WITH CHICKEN STIR-FRY

• 2-3 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, divided (1/4 cup, 1/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped + 1 cup green onion, sliced in 1" strips
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 5 tablespoons minced garlic, divided (2 tbsp, 2 tbsp, 1 tbsp)
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger, divided (1 tsp, 1 tsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili paste
• olive oil
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
• 8-oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth, divided (1-1/2 cup, 1/2)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• pan-fried noodles (see recipe below)

Cut raw chicken breasts into thin slices.  In a Ziplock bag, combine sliced chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, cilantro, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, and chili paste.  Refrigerate and let marinade for at least an hour.   

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok on high heat.  Stir-fry chicken in two or three batches, adding oil for each batch as needed (remember to give the oil a minute to get hot in between batches.)  Set chicken aside.  Add 2 tablespoons of oil and in small batches, stir-fry broccoli, carrot, cabbage, mushrooms, and bean sprouts, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, and 1/4 cup of the remaining soy sauce, setting cooked veggies aside in a bowl after each batch.  When final batch is finished, toss with the chopped basil.  



In the hot skillet, add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1-1/2 cups of the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Combine the remaining 1/2 cup broth and corn starch in a small dish.  Mix until smooth.  When the broth comes to a boil, add the corn starch mix, and whisk until the liquid returns to a boil.  Broth should begin to thicken into a gravy.  Once gravy has begun boiling again, quickly add chicken and vegetables.  Cook for a couple more minutes until chicken is rewarmed and remove from heat.

Serve over pan-fried noodles.


PAN-FRIED NOODLES

• 1/2 pound Shanghai noodles or Chinese egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• olive oil

Cook noodles until al dente.  Drain.  Rinse with cold water and let drain again.  Toss with sesame oil.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add 1/4 of the noodles to the pan, spreading out to the edge of the pan.  Cook on high for 5-8 minutes - do not stir!  When noodle-patty is golden brown, carefully flip the patty and cook the other side until golden brown.  Repeat three more times to make a total of 4 patties.

This was my first attempt at flipping a noodle patty without using a spatula... I wouldn't recommend it unless you know what you're doing... and I didn't.  But I've flipped a lot of crepes this way.  I didn't do too bad for my first noodle flip.

PORK AND SHRIMP EGG ROLLS

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili paste
• 3-4 cranks of fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup bay shrimp (tiny shrimp)
• 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg white, beaten

 In a large bowl, mix pork, carrot, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, and black pepper.  Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork mixture and cook until pork is cooked through.  Add shrimp and cilantro, toss, and remove from heat.  Let cool.  Lay egg roll wrapper out with a corner pointed at you.  Add 3 tablespoons of meat mixture about 1/3 of the way up from the corner pointed at you.  Brush a little egg white on the top two edges of the wrapper.  Roll the lower corner over the filling and roll tightly until the halfway point.  Tuck the left and right sides in and continue wrapping until the top egg-washed sides seal the wrapper.

Heat oil in deep fryer or large pan to 350 degrees.  Deep fry 3-4 egg rolls at a time for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.  Turn egg rolls half-way through to cook evenly.

  EGG DROP SOUP 

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• salt and pepper 
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

In a 3 quart pan, heat sesame oil on medium heat.  Add garlic and ginger and let them sweat for 2-3 minutes.  Set 1 cup of the chicken broth aside and add the remainder of the chicken broth, as well as the soy sauce, to the ginger and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  In a separate bowl, mix the corn starch and 1 cup of chicken broth until smooth.  In a different bowl, whisk two eggs (like you were making scrambled eggs) and set aside.  When the broth has come to a boil, whisk in corn starch mixture and continue whisking until it comes back to a boil.  When it has begun boiling again, slowly drizzle in the eggs, breaking them up in the soup with a fork as you drizzle.  Remove from heat and serve topped with a few green onions as garnish.