Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-18
Readers Clearing House
Conducted by BETSY CASWELL
CHINESE EGG ROLL.

From Mrs. J. F.. West HyattsuiIle)
This recipe for Chinese egg roll
comes from the Ladies' Home
Journal, an issue of about two
years ago. 1t is excellent and all
the special ingredients can be
bought in the Chinese groceries
in Washington or in speciality
shops, such as the one on Con-
necticut avenue beginning with
M. When it was published the
editors noted that they tried to
make it possible for all readers
to make these dishes.
Dough: Mix together IA cups
flour. "a cup rice flour, 2 eggs.
IA cups water and / teaspoon
salt. Rice flour is available in
Chinese markets. If you can't get
it. substitute ordinary flour. II
use regular flour and have no
trouble at ALL Beat the batter
with rotary beaten until smooth.
Heat an 8 or 9 inch skillet and
grease it well with salad oil. Pour
a little of the batter in the skillet
and then lift the skillet and shake
&;lf IN licfx.iI1,,ta tho hot
ter evenly over the bottom (about
Ia tablespoon or perhaps two.
These pancakes should be just
as thin as you can make them.
Cook until underside is delicately
Drowned, turn and cook the other
side the same way. Each pancake
will make a roll, so continue cook
ing until enough have been made.
I allow (this is quoted from the
Imagazine) l roll for each person.
but always make 2 or 3 extra
seconds. Lay the pancakes out
separately on a breadboard or
table covered with paper. I think
this makes about 10 pancakes.
To make filling: Drain the oil
from a 7-ounce can of tuna fish
and mash the fish to a pulp with
fork. Add l cup bean sprouts,
"a cup finely chopped water
chestnuts (these you can buy
canned in speciality shops), u cup
finely chopped bamboo shoots
(also canned if you can't find
fresh). Il cup finely chopped
Scallions. 3 tablespoons chopped
pimento. 3 tablespoons chopped
green pepper. l teaspoon sugar. l
teaspoon monosodium glutamate
Gin stores under the trade name
beginning with A and ending with
T, six letters). and salt and pep
per to taste. Il usually substitute
chopped shrimp for the tuna fish.
and lobster is good. too Mix all
ingredients thoroughly.
Put 4 or teaspoons of the
filling in a line across the pam
cake and roll into a cylinder.
Brush some of the uncooked bat
ter on the underside of the final
flap of the pancake and seal it
tight to the roll. Il fold the two
ends over before the last turn
of the cylinder and seal this in
also, as this is the way a Chinese
friend taught me. This way the
filling does not spill out during
fryingD When all the rolls are
made, fry them in fairly deep fat
until delicate brown, and trans
fer to paper towels or brown pa
per to drain. Don't let them get
too brown this time, as they get
another frying later on.
This much can be done early
in the day, because the rolls
should be thoroughly chilled be-
fore they get their final frying.
just before serving, put them
again in very hot fat and fry
them until they are deep golden
brown all over. Cut each roll into
4 or S pieces and serve. (This
takes some time altogether, but
is well worth it,
The plum sauce that Is served
in restaurants can be bought in
Chinese markets. but a good SUBJ
stitute can be made by MASKING
greengage plums and adding a
little sugar and chopped pimento.
I use regular purple plums be-
cause once I couldn't get green
gage, and like it even better that
way. The mixture of plum and
pimento is wonderful! For the
Chinese mustard. just mix a
little dry mustard and water. A
little turmeric is good added, both
for the yellow color and little
taste. Il find 1t difficult to get
the right mixture because it's i'm
possible to taste 1t while mixing
without burning of your tongue
but I manage)