About the Recipe
Looking for a change from Christmas mincemeat pies? You might be surprised that in Asia, the idea of combining spring rolls with sweet flavours is quite widespread. I like to think this recipe brings out the very best of that combination, giving the spring roll the sweet flavours of Christmas mincemeat. I point out in the recipe that like all spring rolls, these are at their best when served immediately. Believe me, if you make these and serve them at your table, you won't have to worry about leftovers!
Ingredients
120g / 4.25 oz currants
120g / 4.25 oz sultanas
120g / 4.25 oz raisins
120g / 4.25 oz vegetable suet
1 medium apple, peeled & very finely chopped
75g / 2.5oz dark brown sugar
zest & juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon + 1/2 the juice
60ml / 2 fl oz port wine
50 (12.5x12.5cm) frozen spring roll wrappers
1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 60 ml / 2 fl oz water
some vegetable oil for deep frying
a rack for draining any excess oil or alternatively, some kitchen paper
Preparation
first, to make the mincemeat:
combine all the dried fruit, finely chopped apple, sugar, suet, orange and lemon zest, port wine, lemon & orange juice in a bowl
mix well and set aside for at least 2 hours
when your mincemeat filling is ready, it's time to do some rolling:
lay your first spring roll wrapper in the palm of your hand
place 1 tsp of mincemeat on the lower part of the wrapper, then brush the rim of the wrapper with the cornflour water mix
take the lower rim and fold to cover the mincemeat
fold the two sides inwards, then roll from the bottom & seal snugly with your fingers
repeat until all your mincemeat filling is used up
now on to the frying:
fill a pan with 1.5 - 2 cm / 1 inch of veg oil & heat to 170 C / 350 F
deep fry the rolls until golden brown (this should only 1 - 2 minutes, so keep an eye on the pan)
remove the the spring rolls on your rack or kitchen paper, then after a minute or two transfer to a plate. (don’t leave the rolls on the kitchen papers for too long, as they might stick)
once all your spring rolls are cooked, sprinkle with icing sugar.
like all spring rolls, these are at their best when freshly cooked, so serve immediately