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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Tandoori Game Hens with Yam Sabzi

I feel as though I have emerged from a coma filled with plenty of ideas for Fusion...
Cornish game hens, or Coquelets are not actually hens, but very young chickens not yet reached puberty.  Aww the poor things! But if I were a chicken, I would rather be slaughtered before puberty than live my short life as a castrate, so these youngins actually have a sweet life.  Short, but sweet.
So after rubbing my game hens with oil ans tandoori spices, I roasted them whole.  Whole chicks would be such a great idea to cook hanging in a tandoor, but at this point in my life, I do not have one, so my oven will do the trick.
The side to this little preparation is Yam cooked with fried whole spices.  Yam is such a fun vegetable.  I live its natural sweetness and the way it can be the star of the show or enhance the meat it is served with.  Does candied yams ans roast turkey ring a bell?  Well here, it's the same concept, but Indian style...my favorite style..
Serves 4
Ingredients
Tandoori Game Hens:
2 game hens or coquelets
2 1/2 Tbsp tandoori spice
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1 large onion, sliced thickly
1/2 lemon juice

Yam Sabzi:
1 large yam, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 handful dried curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp amchur (mango powder)
salt to taste

Yogurt Sauce:
1 plain yogurt
juice from 1/2 lemon
handful chopped mint
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp sugar
few cracks black pepper
Directions
1.  Prepare the young chickens by making a rub out of the oil, tandoori spice, salt, and lemon juice.  Massage the birds well, making sure to get that good stuff into each nook and cranny.  I didn't marinate, but I suppose an overnight marination would better infuse the flavors.
2.  In a baking dish, lay the sliced onions and place the birds breast side down.  Bake at 190°C for 1 hour, then flip over and bake at 210°C for 30 minutes.  Don't forget to baste.
Mmm perfect!
3.  During those last 30 minutes, make the yam sabzi.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the cumin and mustard seeds until they crackle.
4.  Add the curry leaves, chili powder, and turmeric.  It should fizz.  Then add the yam, stir to coat evenly, then cover and cook on low until tender.. about 15 minutes.
5.  Add the garam masala and amchur and mix.  Taste and add salt if needed.
6.  Make the yogurt sauce.  Mix all the ingredients together.

Serve 1/2 game hen per person with some yam and yogurt sauce.  I added some batavia leaves with some cherry tomatoes for garnish and freshness.
Don't forget to eat with your hands and lick all the wonderful flavors off your fingers.

These young adolescent birds worked perfectly in tandoori spice, just as I had imagined.  The flesh is delicate and infuses easily.
Good boys..

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Monday, June 16, 2014

Chinese Cucumber Garlic Salad

I wouldn't call my apartment a greenhouse, but it retains heat like no other place I've ever lived.  Once the temperature is up, it's hard to cool it.  Even creating a draft only slightly works, especially since it faces west.  After a very long day, I wanted to come home to something fresh.. and since the home was hot and muggy, I decided my dinner would be cooling.
This cucumber salad is perfect.  I repurposed a few pieces of duck since I didn't have anything else for dinner, but this is a perfectly lovely salad on its own.
Inspired by Yi Reservation.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, julienned
2 small cloves garlic, grated
1 Tbsp black vinegar
2 tsp light soy sauce (or GF alternative)
1 tsp mirin
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
drizzle chili oil
few halved cherry tomatoes (for color)
1 thai chili
some shredded Five-Spiced Duck (optional)
Directions
1.  Seriously, it's a salad.  Do I need to give directions?  Ah yes here's a tip I use often.  Place all the ingredients in a tupperware and close it.
2.  Shake shake shake.
3.  Arrange to make it pretty (if that's your thing) and serve.

And that's another delightful way to enjoy cucumber!

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Hand-Picked Cherry Bursting Muffins

It may be too late, but I felt incredibly connected today.  After a long period without inner communication, I found much comfort in the energy flowing through me.  This energy told me to go outside and pick cherries.  Why?  Because there are 2 cherry trees in my neighborhood.  One of them has plump juicy cherries that were ripe at the end of May, and I only got to eat a few although a ton of them gorged in sweet sunlight were just begging for me to come get them.  The kids picked all the ones at my height, and after trying and failing many times to climb the tree before giving up, realizing that I might be getting "too old to climb trees barefoot" or maybe just not strong enough, the cherries had been eaten by the birds.  The other tree is not right next to the playground, so the kids don't see it, and the cherries are much much smaller, therefore uninteresting to the little monsters.  They ripen a month later than the other one, so I've been patient..waiting for the right time.  Today, the energy took me under that tree and had me pick the ripest cherries of the bunch that I could reach.  While picking, I knew exactly what I would be doing with them.  No clafoutis..no, no..
I want to make muffins bursting with cherries.
Yes!  The same way they burst when I use fresh blueberries.
And there will be almost more cherry than there is muffin.
Yield 18 muffins
Ingredients
2 well beaten eggs
90g (3oz) canola oil
100g (3.5oz) cane sugar
1 tsp Pain d'Epice spice (or allspice)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
60g (2oz) ground almonds
70g (2.5oz) whole wheat flour
70g (2.5oz) white flour
400-420g (14-15oz)  pitted cherries
juice from 1/4 lemon
Directions
1.  Squeeze the lemon juice over the pitted cherries and let them macerate while you prepare the rest.
2.  Beat the eggs, oil, sugar, spices, and milk together.  Go ahead and give it all you've got.  Make it nice and frothy...
3.  Beat in the salt, baking powder and soda, salt, and ground almonds.  Mix well.
4.  Ditch the whip and switch to a baking spatula.  Gently stir in the flours until incorporated.
5.  Fold in the macerated cherries until evenly distributed in the batter.
6.  Grease your muffin tins, fill them to 3/4 full, and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes.
7.  Remove and let cool before removing them or even tasting them.

These aren't the most spectacular or strange muffins, but they are delicious muffins bursting with cherries.. exactly what the energy was expecting...

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Sunday, June 15, 2014

Five-Spiced Duck Legs with Lotus Root

Today is Father's day.  If I were lucky enough to spend the day with my father, I would most likely treat him to one of my numerous culinary creations.  I probably would not make any Sichuan recipes for him because he spends 3 months of the year in the Sichuan province of China and is an expert in fine Sichuan dining.  I probably wouldn't make Indian food for him either, because he makes his own state of the art Indian food and gets enough of it when he's visiting family.  If I were to cook for my father today, I would make some sort of fight food with special spice, French fusion using noble products, and not make such a fuss in preparations, because the best part of the day would not be eating, it would be when he would look at me with his tender eyes after seeing what I had planned, and would say to me "Oh Niiniii.." with a soft smile while pulling me toward him for a hug and letting out a little laugh.  Yes, that's how it would go if he were here.  Right this second, he is in Chengdu in China, which is why I decided to make this very tasty duck.  I wouldn't call this authentic, because I'm not sure the crockpot is used often in China, but I know duck legs very well, and the best way to enjoy them is after they have been "confites," or slow cooked to a moist meat-falling-off-the-bones sort of nirvana.  The spices and marinade used are what make it typically Chinese.  (The authentic way would be to steam a whole marinated duck, then deep frying it to make it crispy..that was not about to happen today in my kitchen).  To go with the duck legs is a section of lotus root.  The magical vegetable often used in Chinese medicine ground to a powder and taken to help boost the immune system, mood, digestion, blood pressure, and even lower body temperature in case of fever.  It's quite interesting in texture for it stays crunchy and is delicately sweet.  The slices are also very beautiful.  This meal I'm sure my father would approve of.  Cooking Sichuan style makes me feel closer to him, so it was a perfect choice for today, given the distance circumstance.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the Duck:
4 duck legs
3 tsp five spice powder
1 Tbsp ground Sichuan pepper
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp black vinegar
2 tsp doubanjiang broadbean chili paste
1Tbsp soy sauce
For the Lotus:
1 section sliced lotus root (about 1 lb), soaked in water, then rinsed
2-3Tbsp duck fat (or oil)
1 red chili
1 green chili
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 inch ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Coating:
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 beaten egg
Directions
1.  Prepare the duck.  Make a marinade out of all the ingredients and rub it well into the legs.  Let marinate overnight.
2.  Place the marinated duck legs into the crock pot and cook on low for about 6 hours.  Some fat should have rendered.  Scoop it out and save it for the lotus.
3.  Make the lotus.  Toss the drained slices into the coating.
4.  Heat some of the fat in a wok and add the coated lotus slices in.  Cook until crispy on each side, maybe about 1-2 minutes each side.  Work in batches so to not overcrowd your wok and add the fat as needed.  Reserve the cooked lotus but leave the fat in the wok.
5.  Add the chilis, ginger, and garlic to the wok and stir fry until fragrant.  Add the crispy lotus back into the wok and deglaze with the soy sauce.  Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

I served mine with a mix of basmati and red rice.  This all worked perfectly together.  The spices infused into the duck meat and the lotus provided a perfect crunchy texture to counter the moist melt in your mouth duck.
I think he would be proud...

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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Seared Salmon Filets with Sauteed Spinach

I spent 10 hours on the back of a motorcycle today.  That is a lot of time where you can't really busy yourself by reading or watching TV or making muffins.
I thought almost exclusively of one thing today (besides hoping not to die in an accident during the crazy storm).
My perfect wild caught salmon I would be enjoying later on... and about all the delicate preparations I would bestow upon it.. and the sweet aroma that would waft from it when lightly seared... and the bed of sautéed spinach I would make for it, being careful to massage each leaf in order to properly receive my dear salmon.
I would first make its skin sizzle, then let it lightly color flesh side, giving a perfect harmony of textures when brought to my mouth, letting my tongue dismantle it and savor the flavor of the warm cooked top and the raw creamy inside....
Serves 1
Ingredients
150-200g skin on salmon filet
1 bunch spinach, washed and spun
2 Tbsp EVOO
3 small garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon
some fleur de sel
1 tsp piment d'espelette
Directions
1.  Toss the spinach with 1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO, garlic, 3/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 juice of lemon, 1/2 tsp piment d'espelette, and some fleur de sel.
2.  Sautee the spinach in a wok until wilted.. about 3-4 minutes, stirring.
3.  Rub 1/2 Tbsp EVOO all over the salmon filet, along with 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 juice lemon, 1/2 tsp piment d'espelette, and some fleur de sel.
4.  Heat a heavy based pan to high and sear the salmon skin side down for about 2 minutes, then flip it over and sear for another 2 minutes.
It should be seared on the outside, and warm but still raw in the center, which gives it that addicting tenderness you cannot refuse under any circumstances.

This is soul food, if your soul is noble enough to handle it.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Lamb Shank Confit with Cilantro Mint Ratatouille

I may be committing Ratatouille sacrilege, but there is something so exciting about stepping outside the cookie cutter boundaries of traditional French food, I just can't help myself.  Something feels so wrong but so right about using cilantro and mint in place of basil or thyme, and using chilis instead of bell peppers.  It gives the ratatouille a whole new identity that is magnified by the Lamb Shank Confit.  Confit is a French word used to describe cooking something in sugar (like jam) or low and slow in it's own juices (like duck legs).  Cooking lamb in it's own juices is something that is just amazing and incredibly easy with a crockpot.  Everything just magically happens on its own, even the browning.  Lamb shanks are especially perfect for this cooking method, and it won't heat up your kitchen in this blistering heat!
The best part of the confit is sucking the marrow out of the lamb bones when nobody is looking.  It's so rewarding and delicious..
Serves 4
Ingredients
For Lamb Shank Confit:
2 lamb shanks
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp EVOO
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
few cracks pepper
3 Tbsp dried thyme
For Ratatouille:
1 very large eggplant, cubed
1 large zucchini, cubed
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 large shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 bell peppers (I used Moroccon light green chilis), chopped
2 large very juicy tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp very fine quality EVOO
1 large handful chopped cilantro
1  handful chopped mint
2 chopped scallions
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 (or more) tsp flake salt/fleur de sel
Directions
1.  Prepare the confit.  Place all the lamb shank ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours, turning the meat once (since it will be above the liquid level and will brown.  After this time, the meat should be falling off the bones.
2.  Prepare the Ratatouille.  Soak the cubed eggplant in a large bowl of salted water for about 15-20 minutes, then drain.  This will prevent the eggplant from being an oil sponge.  I learned this method from a Sichuan eggplant recipe and find it to work beautifully.
During this time you can prep your other ingredients or go over the day's events, contemplating whether or not you made the right choices, or if the right choices were made for you, but then realizing those choices were made out of love for you, so in some way you should be grateful, but your heart just doesn't beat in a way that makes sense..
and then reflecting on all the wonderful experiences you've had and may never have again.
The show must go on.....I suppose.
3.  Heat the olive oil in a wok and add the shallots.  Cook until translucent, then add the soaked eggplant cubes.  Stir well so all the pieces are coated with oil add lemon juice, some fleur de sel and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes then push to the side of the pan.
4.  Add the zucchini cubes.  Stir well and cook for a bit longer than the eggplant, then push to the side.
5.  Add the garlic and bell peppers.  Stir fry about 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes.  
6.  When the tomatoes start becoming a bit mushy (maybe 2-3 minutes) add most of the scallions, cilantro, and mint, keeping enough to sprinkle on as garnish.
7.  Stir, cover, and cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes, making sure that nothing sticks to the bottom of your wok.
8.  Add some more fleur de sel and cracked pepper to taste.

Serve hot or warm.  I served it over some bulgur/quinoa mix and sprinkled with some punchy herbs.
This is comfort food, but stil rather healthy.. it's a great twist to the tradition!

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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Deviled Eggs with Tuna

Deviled eggs has been requested many times, but I've never gotten around to making them because;
-It was never the right "time"
-I didn't have enough eggs at the time of request
-I thought I had to "snow" egg whites for some unknown reason and I'm not a big fan of that
-Peeling hard-boiled eggs is annoying with an ugly result

Well, it turns out that;
-Any time is the right time..guests or not, hors d'oeuvres or dinner..deviled eggs are always welcome
-I've since increased my weekly egg purchase, so this week I did have enough eggs
-There is no eggwhite beating involved, only forkmashing
-If you steam the eggs, peeling is easy and beautiful!

So without any reasonable excuse and the motivation inspired by my bamboo steamer basket, deviled eggs happened tonight for dinner...and the best part is I made enough for tomorrow's lunch as well, whiwh makes the pleasure last much longer than just popping one or two at happy hour.
Yield 16 halves (4 meals if served with sides)
Ingredients
8 farm fresh medium eggs
1 can of tuna, drained
1 1/2 Tbsp good quality mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp strong mustard
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 Tbsp chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp crushed piment d'espelette
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Crumbled feta for garnish
Paprika sprinkled for garnish
Directions
1.  Steam the eggs on high for 7 minutes, then place in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
2.  Peel and halve the eggs.  They should be hard boiled, but not chalky, as so..
3.  Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and add the tuna, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, piment d'espelette, scallions, black pepper, and cilantro.  Stir well with a fork until the mixture is even and scoop worthy.
4.  Place one heaping tsp of the mixture into each egg half.  Garnish with some crumbled feta ans a shake of paprika.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.  I ate this immediately alongside some roasted asparagus and a salad with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, capers, and aah yes, feta.
Goat feta.  It is driving me crazy.  I don't know if I should ask forgiveness for trespassing its purity or feel grace that I have been blessed enough to reveal its ability to comprehend...

These are known as Oeufs Mimosa in French.  I am unable to correctly label this as either French or American, so I labeled as both.  I suppose the feta is more European, but these are clearly cross cultural with those scallions and cilantro!

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Monday, June 9, 2014

Sweet Potato Bun Tom (Shrimp Noodle)

 Vietnamese cuisine is very popular here in France.  One of the most popular summer dishes is one called Bo Bun, which is a simple hot curried beef strip on cold rice noodle salad with lots of raw toppings and a Nuac Mam Cham vinegarette.
Bo is beef and Bun is Noodle in Vietnamese, but here, they tend to call any combination "Bo Bun" which is perfectly fine since it makes it more familiar coming off the French tongue and this less "scary" to eat at a non-French restaurant.  The real word for shrimp in Vietnamese is Tom, which is why I named my dish Bun Tom (also because I promised my friend Pascale I would wait for her before making Bo Bun...so technically, I haven't made it yet and I will make it the "real" way when she gets back).  The other change I made from the traditional Bo Bun is the choice of noodles.  During my recent trip to Asian Wonderland, I found these noodles made from sweet pototatoes.  After doing some research, I found they keep their chewy al dente texture after being cooked, they are low calorie, low carb (but also low protein), but work well in hot stir fries just as well as in cold noodle salads.  they are most widely used to make Korean Japchae, but I had never seen such intriguing noodles before.  After cooking, the texture is a bit like glass noodles but they swell thicker and are pleasantly chewy.  I think these are my new favorite noodle (other than linguine)!
So after a long hot day of being outside under the sun, a cold meal seemed like the perfect remedy to cool down my inner parts.
Ooh I really should watch what I say... That sounds kind of exciting..
Serves 2
Ingredients
150g (approz 5.5oz) sweet potato noodles
4 Cha Gio (Nem or eggroll) thickly sliced
1/4 cucumber, julienned
1 medium carrot, julienned
400g (14oz) cooked shrimp, peeled and halved
1 handful chopped scallions
1 handful chopped mint
1 handful chopped cilantro
1 handful crushed peanuts
Sauce:
Nuac Mam Cham minus sugar
1 tsp dried lemongrass
1 tsp grated ginger
Pinch turmeric
1 Tbsp mirin (instead of sugar in the nuac mam cham)
Directions
1.  Cook the sweet potato noodles in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes (or follow package instructions.  Drain and soak in an ice bath to cool.  This is a cold salad.  Noodles need to be cold.
2.  Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
3.  Assemble.  Place the noodles at the bottom of a serving bowl, then place the shrimp, herbs, veggies, and cha gio pieces along the circumference..because if you can't integrate geometry or calculus words into your recipes, what would be the point?
Place the chopped peanuts in the center.

Spoon some of the sauce over your bowl before tossing it around with your chopsticks.
Here it looks a bit messier, but isn't the best part of a perfectly made bed the satisfaction you get in tearing it open?

*Fight food without the egg rolls
**Gluten free if egg rolls made with rice paper only.

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Sunday, June 8, 2014

Pizza with Roasted Veggies and Goat Feta

I am at a time in my life where I will cross cultural boundaries with no shame...and I will put feta on everything.
Yes, everything.
On over easy eggs, on roasted eggplant, of course in salads, in quiche, and today on pizza.  Why not?
This is very similar to the Grilled Veggie Pizza I've made before, but with that extra punch that feta delivers so well...
And it works beautifully with the roasted zucchini, bells, and tomatoes on a watercress pesto spread.

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Friday, June 6, 2014

Cha Gio/Egg Rolls/Nem Ran

 As I continue my Asian Persuasion, I have landed yet again in Vietnam, where I have tinkered before, but never to this glorious extent.
Cha Gio or as they are more commonly known in France, Nems, or Egg Rolls, have been on my list of recipes to try again but actually succeed at.  My nimble 30 year old fingers can now expertly shape falafel, samosas, and pakoras, so egg rolls shouldn't be such a mystery.
They are NOT a mystery, but a rediscovery!  The best nems I'd ever had in my life were from that little Cambodian restaurant where I used to live in Picardy, Le Angkor.  I don't have very many homemade eggroll memories from Asian friends..I actually have more Chile Relleno and Ceviche memories than anything else.
Mmmm Chiles Rellenos...on a side note, I may have found the perfect European substitute for California Chiles used in Chile Rellenos, but that will come later on after I figure out how to make Queso Fresco.
Back to my Cha Gio!
I received my Kenwood Meat Grinder yesterday and after cleaning it I just couldn't wait until Friday to be able to actually put it to good use.  Of course, I was expecting the lovely auto-gift, so I casually had the mint, spring roll wrappers, wood ear mushrooms, cellophane noodles, and random turkey pieces ready to go.  All I needed was to have those turkey pieces ground into something homogenous and cooked to put into my eggroll mixture.
That thing is amazing!  Sure it's very loud and very slow, but I don't really mind waiting 3 minutes for 1 lb of meat to be ground with quality steel cutters.
Ooh I liiike it!
So once you figure out the correct nem rolling technique, the secret is really in the filling.  Actually, the correct rolling technique is just as important as the quality and flavor of the filling.  Maybe that's why eggrolls may seem scary to beginners (as I once was).  You can get one part spot on but completely screw up the other part, which ruins the whole experience.
Recipe inspired by KL's Cooking with Mom.
Yield exactly 40 Cha Gio
Ingredients
1 packet (40) Spring Roll wrappers
1 lb ground turkey (or mix of turkey, chicken, crab, shrimp or pork)
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 section (2oz) bean thread noodles, soaked, drained, and cut
1 cup (80g - 2.8oz) dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked, drained, and sliced
4 medium carrots, julienned
1 small kohlrabi (or cabbage), julienned
1/2 onion, diced
1 2-egg thin omelet, sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp ground white pepper
1 egg yolk
oil for frying (I used a mix of sunflower and canola)
1 beaten egg white for sealing

For wrapping:
Romaine or Batavia leaves
Mint leaves

Nuac Mam Cham (Dipping Sauce) for 20 Nems:
2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 piment oiseau (birds eye chili) chopped and seeded
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions
1.  Brown the ground meat with the 1 tbsp oil and dark soy sauce until fully cooked.  Drain and let cool in a mixing bowl.
2.  Add the cut bean thread noodles, mushrooms, carrots, kohlrabi, onions, omelet, cilantro, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, and yolk to the ground meat and stir well to mix everything evenly.
3.  Assemble.  Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on one corner of a wrapper.
4.  Tuck in the bottom corner and roll halfway into the egg roll.
5.  Fold the sides in, then tuck and roll until you reach the last corner.  Brush some egg white wash on the corner before finishing the roll so that it seals.  For a more native description of how to do this, check out SteamyKitchen.
They should be tightly rolled as so
6.  Fry.  I realized I didn't have enough sunflower oil to do any frying as I was already 3/4 the way done rolling my nems.  You think that's going to stop me?  I had enough canola oil to complete the deal.
Here's a funny story.  The French think you will be poisoned if you use canola oil for anything other than seasoning.  They have strict indications to never use it for cooking.
Bah.. nobody else in the world follows those rules anyway.
In hind site.. it works very well for frying.. although I probably wouldn't reuse the same oil.  I'd use fresh each time.  It darkened a bit toward the 40th spring roll.
Fry until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes, being sure to turn them at least once to check the other side.
7.  Reserve onto paper towels.

Serve hot with some batavia or romaine and mint leaves accompanied by a sexy hot dipping sauce.

These were crunchy, non greasy, full of freshness and flavor, and full of intense satisfaction.  They come very very close to the ones from Angkor so its nice to know that Yes I Can!
I froze over half of them and will reheat them in the oven when needed, as I do with samosas so they stay crunchy.  They are going to be killer on a Bo Bun Noodle salad!!
This is exactly what I was hoping for out of D-Day 2014!

* these can be GF if rice paper and GF soy sauce is used instead of spring roll paper.
See GF recipe here.

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