Haiken (Chicken and Prawn Egg Rolls)

Ingredients:

200g cooked chicken breast (preferably roasted in soy sauce and Chinese spices)
200g shelled prawns
10 garlic shoots
200g bamboo shoots
10 dried Chinese mushrooms (eg Shiitake)
5 Egg Roll Wrappers
2 tbsp potato starch
1 egg white
2 egg yolks
vegetable oil

For the Marinade:
1 tsp salt
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
5 tsp dry sherry (or rice wine)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp five-spice powder

Method:

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water until very soft. Then drain and cut off any hard stems. Finely chop the mushroom caps. Finely mince the prawns and separately finely mince the cooked chicken. Chop the garlic shoots and bamboo shoots finely. Slowly mix the garlic, bamboo shoots, chicken and prawns so that you obtain a fine but sticky mass then add the mushrooms.

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade together and add a little at a time to the meat mixture so that you obtain a wet but sticky mass. Roll this in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate. Finally add the egg white and potato starch and blend well.

Beat the egg yolks together. Divide the meat paste into five pieces and place these in the egg roll wrappers. Form into a sausage shape and roll the wrappers around (use the meat filling from end to end). Use the egg yolks to moisten the long edges of the wrappers and press down to seal.

Place the rolls seam-side down in a steamer and steam over rapidly boiling water for 5 minutes. Take off the heat, allow to cool then cut into 5cm lengths. Dust each roll with a little cornflour.

Meanwhile heat a 4cm depth of oil in a wok (or use a deep fryer) until very wok and gently place the rolls in this with a slotted spoon. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until nicely browned then remove to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the rolls are done. Serve immediately, accompanied by a chilli-based sauce.