Cuisine

Tips for freezing and frying crispy spring rolls for Tet

University (according to VnExpress) January 26, 2025 09:45

If you don't know how, the spring rolls can easily break, become soggy, and splatter oil when fried.

Nhân nem cần sơ chế khô ráo. Ảnh: Bùi Thủy
Spring roll filling needs to be prepared dry.

Fried spring rolls are a traditional dish often found on the Tet tray of many families from the North to the South. In culinary books from 100 years ago such as "Am thuc tu tri" published in Hanoi, "Nu cong thuong thuc" published in Hue, "Sach thuc suc" by Nguyen Van Niem, spring rolls and fried spring rolls are mentioned. The main ingredients usually include minced/ground meat, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli, while the vegetables and eggs vary depending on the region and family taste, with shrimp, crab, fish...

To keep the flavor, texture, and golden, crispy color of fried spring rolls, you need to pay attention to the steps from making the spring roll filling, wrapping the spring rolls to freezing and frying them properly.

Spring roll filling

You need to separate the meat and vegetable filling when preparing, only mix them together when rolling. With dry ingredients such as wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, you need to soak them until they expand, wash them, drain them completely before chopping them. Vermicelli should also only be soaked until soft, then removed and placed in a colander to drain the water. Vermicelli helps absorb water from the vegetables in the filling when mixed and fried. Do not soak vermicelli in hot water, which will make the spring roll filling soft. Vegetables with a lot of water such as jicama, kohlrabi, bean sprouts should be used in just the right amount, if you are more careful, blanch them and squeeze out the water. You should choose lean shoulder meat with fat to avoid drying out. If you have shrimp, cut them into small pieces or remove the crab and put it aside when wrapping to clearly feel the flavor. Marinate the meat filling separately with a little seasoning.

Before wrapping, mix the meat filling with vegetables and fruits, add egg yolk to create adhesion (do not add or add too little egg white because it can easily cause the filling to break and create air bubbles in the filling when frying the spring rolls). Some chefs share the tip of adding a little flour and cooking oil when mixing the filling to keep the filling moist and make the spring rolls crispier when fried. Southern spring rolls often add shredded taro or sweet potato containing starch, which also has a similar effect. Some restaurants stir-fry the filling to cool before rolling it to freeze (optional).

Spring roll package

Gói nem vừa tay, không chặt quá. Ảnh: Bùi Thủy
Wrap the spring rolls just right, not too tight.

Depending on the region, you can use spring roll wrappers such as rice paper (Northern), spring roll wrappers (Central) or spring roll wrappers (Southern). You should line the inside with 1/2 or 1/3 of the wrapper to preserve the texture of the filling if it gets wet and seeps out.

When wrapping spring rolls, add just enough filling and spread evenly, use egg white to seal the edges. Avoid wrapping too tightly as the filling will expand when frying and break, ruining the texture and crispiness.

To make the spring roll skin more crispy, there are many ways such as brushing a little water mixed with vinegar and sugar. Or some families brush beer with crab spring rolls. In the South, people often brush coconut water or coconut milk to create a unique flavor and the spring roll skin has a beautiful golden brown color.

Store spring rolls

Rán sơ, để nguội, chia nhỏ trữ đông. Ảnh: Bùi Thủy
Fry briefly, let cool, divide into small portions and freeze.

Depending on the quantity and filling method, choose the appropriate form to store spring rolls. If you do not add eggs or stir-fry the filling, let it cool before wrapping, then divide it into batches (enough for each meal) and freeze.

If the filling has eggs and the ingredients are still fresh, to be safe, fry them until about 70% cooked, let them cool completely, then divide them into freezers. The reason is that home refrigerators do not have quick and deep freezing technology, so while waiting for freezing, the filling can easily become watery and mushy, creating conditions for bacteria to grow, which is unsafe. Fresh spring rolls in supermarkets are stored at a specified temperature and have a shelf life, that's why.

When storing spring rolls, remember to divide them into batches separated by banana leaves, wax paper or zip bags, specialized food boxes. So that when taking them out, it doesn't take time to remove the spring rolls if they stick together and there is enough quantity for each meal.

Fried spring rolls and frozen

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Fried spring rolls twice until golden brown and crispy

If you don't know how to fry frozen spring rolls, they can easily burst, absorb oil, and splatter. When using frozen spring rolls, you don't need to defrost them, just take them out and fry them in a pan of hot oil (temperature range from 160 - 180 degrees Celsius is suitable). If the oil is too cold, the spring rolls will easily absorb oil, burst the shell, and easily splatter when the filling comes out. If the oil is too hot, it can easily smoke, splatter oil, and burn the spring roll shell, making it less colorful and less flavorful. Be careful to drop them in slowly and gently to avoid creating strong force that causes the oil to splatter. You should divide the spring rolls into batches because if you add too much, the oil will cool down suddenly and splatter more easily. Use a deep pot or pan to save oil and ensure enough water to fry. Because the spring rolls have been pre-fried, the frying time on the second fire is quite fast to cook the filling. When the spring rolls are dry, crackling, and the skin is slightly yellow, increase the heat to help the spring rolls drain oil and avoid being greasy. The Maillard reaction occurs, making the skin golden brown and giving off an attractive aroma.

Another way is to put the spring rolls in an air fryer set to 180 degrees for about 8-10 minutes to make them crispy, delicious and convenient.

Fried spring rolls and egg rolls that meet the requirements must retain their shape, not break, the outside is covered with a thin layer of golden brown, crispy, while the inside is still soft and moist, and the vegetables and fruits are crispy and delicious.

When eating fried spring rolls with raw vegetables and pickles, the sweet and sour fish sauce balances the taste and provides fiber to ensure a healthy meal. On average, each fried spring roll has about 120 calories/100gr, so each person should only eat about 1-2 spring rolls/meal.

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Tips for freezing and frying crispy spring rolls for Tet