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The first thing you must do is prepare your workspace and your ingredients so that everything is ready to go when you start the assembly process. Start by washing your jalapeño peppers under cool running water to remove any dirt or debris from the skins. It is a very good idea to wear gloves when you are handling spicy peppers because the oils can stay on your fingers and cause a burning sensation if you touch your eyes later. Take a sharp knife and cut the stems off the tops of the peppers and then slice each pepper in half lengthways from top to bottom. Use a small spoon to scrape out all of the white seeds and the internal ribs of the peppers because this is where most of the extreme heat lives. If you like your egg rolls to be very spicy you can leave a few seeds in the mix but for most people it is better to remove them all for a balanced flavor. Once the peppers are cleaned you should dice them into very small and fine pieces so that they distribute evenly throughout the cheese mixture.
Now it is time to create the filling which is the heart of the recipe. Make sure your cream cheese has been sitting at room temperature for at least thirty minutes so that it is soft and easy to work with. Put the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl and add the shredded cheddar cheese and the diced jalapeños and the bacon bits. Sprinkle in your garlic powder and onion powder and salt to give the mixture a savory kick that goes beyond just the heat of the peppers. Use a sturdy spoon or a spatula to fold and mix everything together until it looks like a thick and colorful paste where every ingredient is well incorporated. You want to make sure there are no large lumps of plain cream cheese left because every bite should have a little bit of everything in it. Once the filling is perfectly mixed you can set it aside for a moment while you prepare your egg roll wrappers and your sealing liquid.
Take a small bowl and crack your egg into it then add the two tablespoons of water and whisk it together with a fork until it is smooth and light yellow. This egg wash is going to act like glue to keep your egg rolls from opening up while they are cooking in the hot oil. Lay out one egg roll wrapper on a clean and dry cutting board so that it looks like a diamond shape with one corner pointing toward your body. Take about two large tablespoons of the cheese and pepper filling and place it in the center of the diamond but slightly toward the bottom corner. Shape the filling into a small log that is about three inches long so that it sits nicely across the middle of the wrapper. Now take the bottom corner and fold it up and over the filling and then tuck it tightly underneath the log of cheese.
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The next part of the fold is what makes the egg roll look professional and keeps the filling inside. Take the left corner and the right corner and fold them both toward the center so that the wrapper now looks like an open envelope. Make sure the side folds are straight and tight against the edges of the filling log. Now you can start to roll the whole thing toward the top corner while keeping it as tight as possible without tearing the delicate skin. Before you reach the very top use your finger or a small brush to put some of the egg wash onto the final corner of the diamond. Finish the roll so that the wet corner sticks to the body of the roll and creates a perfect seal. Repeat this process with the remaining wrappers and filling until you have twelve beautiful and uniform egg rolls sitting on a tray ready for the fryer.
While you are finishing the last few rolls you can start heating your oil in a large and deep pot or a heavy skillet. You want the oil to be about two inches deep so that the egg rolls can float freely without touching the bottom of the pan too much. Turn the heat to medium high and let the oil reach a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 175 degrees Celsius. If you do not have a thermometer you can test the oil by dropping a tiny piece of an egg roll wrapper into it. If the wrapper bubbles and floats to the top immediately then the oil is ready for action. Be very careful when you are working with hot oil because it can splash and cause burns if you are not moving slowly and intentionally.
Carefully place three or four egg rolls into the hot oil at a time but do not crowd the pan because this will make the temperature of the oil drop too low. Use a pair of metal tongs or a slotted spoon to gently turn the egg rolls as they cook so that they get evenly brown on all sides. It should only take about three to five minutes for them to reach a beautiful and crispy golden brown state. Once they look perfect you can lift them out of the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any extra grease. Let the egg rolls sit and rest for at least five minutes before you try to eat them because the cheese filling inside will be extremely hot and can burn your mouth. Serve them warm with your favorite dipping sauces and watch as they disappear in minutes.
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