pearsalmondsbluecheese:

These are imperial rolls. Or at least that is what my mom has told me for the past 30 years.

These rolls have been served in my house since … well forever.

My mom learned these from someone she waitress with at a place called The Red Lion in … Montana… I think… but it also could have been Idaho. I get confused sometimes.

Anyway my mom would be make these by the dozen. You roll them in thinly sliced cucumber and lettuce dipping them in a sauce.

Everyone in my family has loved them. There was a time when my mom could not make them fast enough.

My mom and dad would sit in the kitchen or outside at a picnic table frying them, drinking cocktails, laughing, giving each kid as many as they could eat. When we had our fill our mom and dad would have theirs.

When I make them now, I am not sure if I love them because they are delicious. Or because of what they remind me of.

Either way, or probably because of both, I still love eating them.

RECIPE:

filling:
3 oz cellophane noodles
4 oz of shrimp (my mom always used those canned shrimp)
1/2 lb ground sausage
3/4 c shredded carrot or water chestnut (I have only ever had it with water chestnuts)
1 garlic clove (my mom always used powder but I think that is gross so I cook my with my sausage)
1/2 c green onion
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4-1/2 white wine
1-2 tblsp cornstarch
1 pkg egg roll wrappers

sauce:
2 tblsp sugar
1/4 warm water
2 tblsp soy sauce
1 tblsp lime juice
1/2 tblsp shredded carrot (or to taste)*
1/4 tblsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)*

*I LOVE both shredded carrot and red pepper so I probably use more of both of those.

wrap:
one head of lettuce split in half to wrap rolls in
1-2 cucumbers sliced paper thin to wrap rolls in

Boil water, pour over cellophane noodles until soft. Drain. Snip with kitchen shears into bit size pieces.

Cook sausage with garlic clove.

Combine the sausage, green onion, water chestnuts and/or shredded carrot and either chop fine (that’s what mom did) or throw in your food processor (what I do) for a couple of pulses.

Add together mixture and cellophane noodles. Then mix with wine, soy sauce and cornstarch. Let cool in fridge until ready to fry.

Fill egg roll wrappers on the diagonal with filling. Wet sides. Roll tightly.

Fry in oil heated to 375 degrees. Keep in warmed oven.

When ready to eat, wrap each roll in cucumbers, lettuce and dip in sauce.

I then savor the roll and the memories.

(Source: serialsghostwritten)