Cook’s notes
Duck and cheese filling
Does it have to be duck meat? That’s leftover roast duck that I was trying to make use of in the best possible way. If you’re wondering if leftover roast pork, beef or chicken can be substituted, the answer is yes. Your spring rolls will likely taste different and the filling will roll differently on your tongue but I’ll still go out on a limb and say any roast meat should be good. The chilled duck meat was hand chopped into small pieces (not into smithereens) then tossed with chopped onion and onion leaves. Then, shredded cheese was stirred in. That’s the filling. No salt and pepper? I’d say they’re optional. It depends on how well seasoned the duck meat is and how salty your chosen cheese variety is.Prepping and stuffing the chilies
Now, about the finger chilies? What the heck are finger chilies? You know, in the Philippines, chilies generally go by two labels — haba and labuyo. “Haba” means elongated and they refer to green chilies as long as a human forefinger. “Labuyo” is the generic term for small red chilies which may or may not be bird’s eye chilies. It’s confusing, I know. But here’s the thing — finger chilies are usually mild enough to be eaten whole. That’s why there’s perfect for this dish. They’re large enough to be easily stuffed but they don’t pack so much heat that you won’t be able to appreciate the filling and the crunch.
Still, if you want to tone down the heat some more, slit the chilies and scrape off the seeds and pith. That’s where most of the heat is concentrated. Then, you stuff the chilies with the duck and cheese mixture.
Wrapping the chilies
Now, wrap the stuffed chilies. My daughter, Alex, did the wrapping and she opted to expose the stem of the chilies. What for? Well, this is a food blog. It’s for better visual appeal.
- Lay a spring roll wrapper and fold in one side (left or right).
- Place a stuffed chili across the center of the wrapper (the chili stem should peep at the edge) then fold the other side over the chili to cover the lower portion.
- Brush the edges farthest from you with the egg wash or water.
- Fold the corner (or edge) nearest you over the stuffed chili and start rolling the spring roll away from you, rolling as tightly as you can. Keep on rolling until you reach the edges brushed with egg wash or water.
- Repeat until all the stuffed chilies have been wrapped and sealed.
Frying the spring rolls
The last step is frying. Remember that the filling is duck and cheese. No need for prolonged frying because the duck meat is already fully cooked and cheese will melt and find a way to ooze out of the wrapper if allowed to stay in the hot oil longer than necessary.
For the cheese dipping sauce
Microwave a cup of shredded cheese with a quarter cup of milk just until bubbly. Stir until smooth. Add seasonings, if needed.Roast duck, chili and cheese spring rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups chopped roast duck
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion leaves or use scallions
- 1½ cups shredded cheese we used Colby Jack
- seasonings if needed
- 12 finger chilies
- 12 spring roll wrappers separated
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Toss together the duck, onion, onion leaves and cheese. Taste and add your choice of seasoning, as needed.
- Slit each finger chili to form a pocket. Optionally, scrape off the discard the seeds and pith inside.
- Stuff each slit chili with the duck and cheese mixture.
- Wrap each stuffed chili in spring roll wrapper. Wet the edges with water to seal.
- Heat enough cooking oil in a frying pan to reach a depth of at least two inches.
- Fry the stuffed chili spring rolls, in batches if your pan is rather small, until the wrappers are golden and crisp.
- Serve your spring rolls with cheese dip.
Fish and shrimp spring rolls
