Birthday Party Food - Birthday Party Finger Food: Egg Rolls

Birthday Party Finger Food: Egg Rolls

To add a bit of orient-inspired fare to your next birthday party, consider adding egg rolls to the menu. Egg rolls can be made with shrimp, chicken, or pork. It is also possible to make all-vegetable varieties for vegetarians! Whether you decide to use egg roll wraps from the freezer section of the store or make them from scratch, egg rolls are a tasty finger food that are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

If you decide to make the wraps yourself, you will need:

1 extra-large egg

1/2 cup of ice-cold water

Corn starch (for dusting)

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of flour, all-purpose

Begin with the dry ingredients and egg in a medium bowl. Add the water a little at a time until you have a well-mixed, sticky batter. Dump the batter out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead the dough for about five minutes, then cover it with a moist towel and let it rest for about half an hour. After the rest, knead the dough again biefly and cut the batch in half. Roll it into a uniform sheet and then cut into 3 1/2-inch squares. Dust each square with corn starch to avoid them sticking together.

For the egg roll filling, here is everything you will need:

2 pounds of shredded chicken (can be substituted with minced shrimp or pork)

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoon of five-spice powder

1/2 cup of sliced green onions, including the tops

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 beaten egg

8 ounces of minced mushrooms

1/2 cup of canned bamboo shoots

1 teaspoon of corn starch

Plenty of vegetable oil for deep-frying

Coat a wok (or a large pan works, too) with the vegetable oils and stir-fry the ingredients for a few minutes until the chicken turns white and the vegetables are lightly browned. Then, dump the ingredients into a colander, put the colander in a pot, and put the whole thing into the refrigerator to drain for half an hour. This will allow the filling to dry. Filling that is too wet will make the egg rolls mushy and hardly appetizing.

When it's time to assemble the egg rolls, make up a small amount of 'glue' out of equal parts corn starch and water. This will help you to seal the seams of the rolls. Once assembled, deep-fry the rolls until brown and crisp. Be sure to have duck sauce and soy sauce for dipping. Set them on paper towels until they stop steaming, and enjoy!