I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like egg rolls. I used to work prepping and counter at a booth a friend used to run at all kinds of music festivals around the East Coast. We had an emergency shortage of egg rolls and the chef taught me how to make them in five minutes on the spot. There are a few little tricks, like not to overcook your filling and make sure that the mixture is cool enough to work with, but it's basically a simple procedure. When I made them at home, my Dad liked them so much, that I taught him in about five minutes, too.
Ingredients: one package of egg roll wraps (about 20) one small head of red cabbage, one small head of green cabbage, 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger, 2 cans of bamboo shoots (drained), 1 package of bean sprouts, 2 cups of chopped mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of dark Soy sauce and your choice of shrimp, chicken or extra firm tofu. You will need enough peanut oil for sauting the ingredients and peanut or canola oil for deep-frying.
Cooking: Coarsely shred the red and green cabbage, maybe a little less finely than for Cole Slaw. In a large pot add 2 tablespoons of oil, chopped garlic and grated ginger. Marinate the shrimp, chicken or tofu in the soy sauce then add them to the oil and stir-fry. When the meat is cooked through, add all your vegetables. Stir all the ingredients until the vegetables are slightly wilted. Add the bean sprouts and stir. Let the mixture cool enough to assemble the egg rolls.
Assembly: Put the filling into a colander to remove excess liquid. On a dry surface, put an egg roll wrap down with the corners north and south. Put a serving-size spoonful of the mixture in the center of the egg roll wrap. Fold the east and west corners over the mixture, then fold the south corner over the mixture. Wet down the last corner (the north corner) with a little beaten egg and water wash and roll the egg roll over and make sure that the package is fairly tight and sealed. Then place on a dry towel. Repeat this until the filling is used up.
Frying: Fill up a pot half way up with oil and start to heat the oil for frying. If you have a temperature-controlled fryer, you want the temperature to be about 450 degrees F. Otherwise, when the oil starts to ripple a bit, drop a cube of bread in and make sure it bubbles and browns. At this point, fry your egg rolls.
Depending on the size of your pot, you may be able to do 3 to 4 at a time. Make sure the egg rolls have enough room to swim around without touching. Fry until the skins are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and drain them on a thick mat of paper towels. Serve right away, as they will cool quickly.
The traditional dipping sauce for egg rolls is Duk sauce or hot Chinese mustard. You can make your own quick dipping sauce from a jar of apricot jam, a tablespoon of soy sauce, a table spoon of rice wine vinegar and a tablespoon of chopped garlic.
A final note: When dealing with hot oil, it's advisable to keep little ones and distracting big ones out of the kitchen. Hot oil fires are the most common kitchen disasters. Always practice good kitchen safety. Now, let's eat!