Amourat's Thai Eggroll recipe

Lorelei has become quite the chef this summer. She loves to cook up meals and sometimes even surprises us with things she's made - breakfast, smoothies, desserts, etc.. I love how confident she's becoming in the kitchen.

One thing this girl has really mastered is the art of rolling Thai Eggrolls. 

Growing up in Colorado, my neighbor Amourat from Thailand made these delicious eggrolls nearly every time I'd come around her house, and nothing in the world could be more delicious or conjure up memories like Amourat's eggrolls! They're still - to this day - my favorite food.

The recipe was always Amourat's secret (she sold these eggrolls from her home - they were that amazing!), and after a lifetime of trying to replicate it, I think we've at least come close. Or... Lorelei has, to be exact. And now Gryffy gets in on the fun, too, and we all cook these together as a family.

Lorelei makes the sauce, Gryffy and I make the filling, the kids roll them up (sometimes Mark helps too) and I fry them.

 Aren't they beautiful?! We devour them.

 Here's the copycat recipe we've perfected over the years. This makes 40 rolls (for a party), but we usually make 20 and split the filling in half, freezing the portion we don't use for another day when an eggroll craving hits.

(Almost) Amourat's Thai Eggrolls
2 pkg. spring roll sheets (from Asian market - I like the easy-peel brand in the picture below)
1 lb. ground pork
2 eggs
4 oz. bean thread vermicelli (= 3 bunches from the Lungkow brand pack of 8--see photo below)
1 c. shredded carrot
1 c. shredded cabbage
8 shiitake mushrooms, chopped small
salt & pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. peanut oil

Soak noodles in hot water until soft; cut in thirds.

In a separate bowl, mix pork, egg, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, pepper, soy sauce and garlic. Fry pork mixture in 3 T oil until pork is cooked through. Add noodles; cool. Taste and add more salt or soy sauce if desired. (I also spoon in some of the dipping sauce--recipe below--for a spicy-sweet kick.)

The roll is tricky and Lorelei's mastered this: Place 2 Tbsp. filling in a corner and roll up halfway, keeping the roll tight. Fold in both sides, then finish rolling it up. Seal the end with a paste of flour and water. Repeat until all sheets are filled and rolled.

Deep fry in oil over low heat until crisp and dark golden brown, turning midway through cooking. Makes approximately 40 rolls.

Sweet & Spicy Dipping Sauce
1/2 c. white vinegar
1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 tsp. tapioca flour
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Boil a few minutes until slightly thick but still runny; remove from heat and serve at room temperature. The sauce will thicken quite a bit more as it cools.

Note: The spring roll sheets are very important. These are not the brand you find at the local supermarket. A trip to the Asian market for the right ingredients is a must. I also prefer this brand of bean thread vermicelli from the Asian market.

And that, my friends, is our family's favorite meal and a throwback to my childhood.