Crispy spring rolls with fluffy autumn salmon, mushrooms; Seasonal recipe for harvest time, inspired by Japanese flavors

For this harvest season, Chef Ryo Imai shared a recipe for egg rolls with seasonal fall salmon and maitake mushrooms. The Japanese-inspired spring rolls have a tasty contrast between their crispy skin and their thick filling.

Spring rolls served in Chinese restaurants are typically made with a meat and bamboo filling, which takes a lot of time and effort to prepare.

“But you can easily make them at home by simply wrapping lightly seasoned fish or other ingredients of your choice, while frying the filling is steamed, making for fluffy spring rolls,” Imai said.

According to Imai, autumn salmon with its low fat content is ideal for adding a light, fresh taste to the filling.

Spring roll pastries should be cooked until crispy, but “the salmon and mushroom spring rolls should be even crispier than the typical ones,” Imai said.

Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with salt before placing in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Pat it dry to remove excess moisture and bad odor. This prevents the fish from becoming soggy after frying.

There is also a tip for frying:

First fry the spring rolls slowly on a low heat of 160 C. Then place on medium heat and fry for another 4 to 5 minutes until they start to brown. Then put them on a baking tray.

After setting the spring rolls aside, they continue to cook in the residual heat. This also prevents their skin from becoming moist.

Then fry them again until they turn a deep golden brown.

“They need to be fried twice, otherwise they become soggy and soft over time. Please double fry them to fully enjoy their crispy texture,” Imai said.

Even if you hold them with chopsticks, they feel crispy. I took a bite and the flavors burst with the crunch of the package right on my tongue.

The fluffy salmon, together with the maitake mushrooms, also gives off a tasty aroma. Spanish mackerel or barracuda can be substituted to enjoy different flavor combinations.

Pumpkin dressed with sansho pepper, miso

Imai also shared a recipe for pumpkin, prepared with ground Japanese sansho pepper and miso, which can be a good side dish for the spring rolls.

Cut 150 grams of pumpkin into 3 centimeter cubes. Place it on a heat-resistant plate, cover with plastic wrap and microwave it for 3 minutes at 600 watts. Mix 2 teaspoons miso and vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and soy sauce, and a pinch of ground Japanese sansho pepper in a bowl. Add the pumpkin and mix. The vinegar gives the dish a refined and refreshing taste.

Autumn spring rolls with salmon and mushrooms

Ingredients (6 rolls):

• 2 fillets of raw salmon
• 80 grams maitake mushrooms
• 6 sheets of spring roll wrappers
• 6 green shiso leaves
• Frying oil





Directions:

1. Remove the skin from the salmon and cut into bite-sized pieces. Also break the maitake mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.

2. Sprinkle the salmon with 1/3 teaspoon salt and place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Pat dry.

3. Arrange a spring roll wrapper diagonally with one corner towards you. Stack a green shiso leaf, salmon, and maitake mushrooms in order, slightly off-center toward you, with room to fold over. Fold the corner of the wrapper over to cover the filling and repeat with the left and right corners. Roll up the rest and seal the edges with flour dissolved in a little water. Make six spring rolls.

4. Place the spring rolls in the oil at 160 C and fry over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. Place it on a baking sheet and let it rest for about 2 minutes.

5. Increase the heat and return the spring rolls to the oil. Fry until deep golden brown. Place it on a tray to drain the oil before serving.




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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Sprinkle salt over the salmon.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Place a green shiso leaf, salmon and maitake mushrooms on top of each other on a spring roll wrapper.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Place the spring rolls on a baking sheet for about 2 minutes before frying them for the second time.