Book of Days Tales

In the Philippines August is the month to celebrate Buwan ng Wika. Buwan means month and wika means language.  At this time, schools are involved in activities such as poem writing, slogan making, reciting of declamation pieces, quiz competitions, and other games that bring out the creativity of students in using the Filipino language. Filipino is based on Tagalog but incorporates elements from over 100 indigenous languages as well as Spanish and English words.

Lumpia are a suitable Filipino dish to munch on whilst contemplating Filipino poetry.

Ingredients

1 (11 to 12 oz) package fresh or frozen lumpia or spring roll wrappers
1 small yellow onion, peeled
2 medium scallions
1 large carrot, peeled
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large egg
3 to 4 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ lbs ground pork

2 cups canola oil, plus more, for shallow frying

Dipping options: banana ketchup, sweet Thai chili sauce, or vinegar and soy dipping sauce — as follows — prepare these ingredients, adding each to a small bowl: Cut ¼ small red onion into small dice (about 2 tablespoons). Mince 2 garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon). Finely chop 4 Thai chiles. Add 1 cup cane or distilled white vinegar and 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and stir to combine.

Instructions

Thaw 1 package of frozen lumpia or spring roll wrappers in the refrigerator until you can separate the sheets, about 3 hours.

Prepare the following ingredients, adding each to the same large bowl as you complete it: Finely chop 1 small yellow onion (about ¾ cup) and 2 medium scallions (about ¼ cup). Peel and grate 1 large carrot on the large holes of a box grater (about ¾ cup). Grate 3 garlic cloves on the small holes of the box grater.

Separate 1 large egg and add the yolk to the bowl of vegetables and the white to a small bowl. Add 3 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt (use 3 teaspoons for coarse kosher salt) and ½ teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Add 1 ½ pounds ground pork and mix with your hands until very well combined.

Remove the spring roll wrappers from the package and place on a work surface or plate. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place one wrapper on the work surface in a diamond shape (keep the remaining wrappers covered with the towel). Place 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling 3 inches from the bottom corner and form into a 5-inch long log. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling, pulling the wrapper taut over the filling. Fold the left and right sides over the filling so the points meet at the center and crease the sides so it now looks like an envelope. Roll from the bottom up into a tight log, stopping when you get close to the top and you have a small triangle left. Dip a finger into the egg white and use it to dampen the triangle, then finish rolling all the way up (the egg white will help hold the wrapper together).

Transfer the lumpia to the baking sheet seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling (they can be touching on the baking sheet). If making ahead, you can freeze the filled lumpia at this point.

Heat 2 cups canola oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat until 330 to 350ºF. (If you don’t have a thermometer, gently dip one end of a lumpia in the oil: If it sizzles up right away, the oil is ready.) Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with a rack and top the rack with a paper towel.

Frying in batches of no more then 7, add the lumpia to the hot oil and fry until the bottoms are deep golden brown, 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Flip the lumpia and cook until the second side is deep golden brown and the filling is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the lumpia to the paper towels.

Repeat frying the remaining lumpia, adding more oil to the pan as needed between batches. Let the lumpia cool for about 5 minutes before serving. You can serve them whole or cut them in half to serve a crowd. Serve with banana sauce, vinegar and soy sauce (above), Thai sweet chili sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.