Oh my Lumpia! (Shanghai, that is!)

By Chef Ed Dychauco

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

SOMETHING crunchy or crispy on the outside, but soft and flavorful on the inside, dipped in sweet and sour sauce or catsup. That is none other than our well-known and favorite appetizer (but also used as a main course), the ever golden brown Lumpia Shanghai when deep fired well.

How this name came about I really cannot tell but I know one thing for sure -- this is our version of America’s favorite “egg roll.” The difference is that, when one says egg roll, it is usually made with assorted vegetables like cabbage, carrots, onions, jicama and the like.

Pinoy’s Lumpia Shanghai (can I say that this was a Chinese-influenced dish? Or is it just a name?) is truly ours because it is different from the fried egg rolls or vegetable in other Asian countries. But again, I might be wrong. But what the heck?

Ours is made of ground pork (it can be beef, chicken, shrimp or any other meats) mixed with chopped onions and shredded carrots flavored with soy sauce, egg, salt and pepper then wrapped in lumpia wrapper. Deep-fried to a crisp, it is normally accompanied with sweet and sour sauce (home-made or ready-made) or plain catsup. I have also seen some enjoying it with garlic-vinegar dip, catsup-mayo dip or even garlic-mayo dip. The choice is yours. But I know I like my dip that I got from Little Bangkok. It is sweet, sour and spicy! Which really makes each bite memorable!

Again, many variations can be done on this simple dish (or appetizer). One can add shredded or chopped jicama or turnips, chopped green onions, and even made with a 50-50 mixture of pork and beef, pork and chicken, beef and chicken and the list could go on and on.

Seasonings like black pepper can enhance the mixture’s taste but I personally like it a bit on the spicy side, hence I put more black or white pepper. Sugar can also be added to make it a bit sweeter, which a lot of Pinoy really like. So therefore, the entire mixture can be a blend of meat and vegetables, different seasonings and herbs, depending on one’s take on this exciting dish.

There are variations in the egg roll or lumpia wrappers. The one we have is different from the wrappers from out neighboring countries like Vietnam and Thailand. In Northern America, the wrapper is really pre cut in squares and can be found in the chilled section. We buy our wrappers in the market or in supermarkets. I am always amazed as to how our wrappers are being made in the market. Using a “paste-like” consistency dough and then swirling it in a hot plate, it only takes a few seconds for it to be ready. Amazing! Truly Pinoy!

I have seen many having a problem when they fry their lumpia. Because the wrappers tend to open up and spill the filling into the hot oil. Fear not, because the secret is just in the manner of wrapping, and positioning it after it is wrapped and while being fried. Fair enough?

The technique there is to make sure the folded side of the wrapper is facing down, meaning the gravity of the mixture will help bind the wrapper. Using just plain water is good enough to make the wrapper stick together. Although I know of some who uses egg whites or cornstarch mixture.

Now, once everything is wrapped, one can start frying them, in hot oil, not lukewarm oil. Because if one fry it in a not-so-hot oil, the lumpia will tend to absorb more oil and make it very greasy. Now, when I say hot oil, it is hot enough to fry but not too hot that the oil is already “burning.”

Make sure also that when a first batch is cooked, remove them all together and let the oil heat up again before putting the next batch so all will cook and brown evenly. One can place the fried shanghai in a paper-lined plate (to absorb extra grease) or just let the oil drip in a colander. And make sure they are arranged in a manner where there is air circulation so that it does not soften because of the steam that is generated from each fried lumpia.

And the good thing with this is that, one can prepare the lumpia ahead of time and refrigerate it and fried at a later time. One can also freeze it and can be stored for a longer period of time. Noticed that we see prepared lumpia in the frozen section of groceries and supermarkets? This is also a good money-making venture for those entrepreneurs.

Here is my own basic version of Lumpia Shanghai.

300 grams ground meat
½ cup chopped shrimp (optional)
½ tbsp minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup shredded carrots
¼ cup chopped green onions
2 pcs whole eggs
3-4 tbsps soy sauce

Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Lumpia wrapper
Oil for frying

Mix all the ingredients together. Put a tablespoon or more in the wrapper and roll them. Fry in hot oil. Serve hot and crispy with or without any sauces.

I am sure this is one dish that would be present in our tables this season. Enjoy! Happy fiesta to all! Viva San Agustin!

(Email: potsnpans1976@yahoo.com; website: www.potsnpans1976.weebly.com)

Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on August 18, 2011.