Gordon Ramsay's Crab Spring Rolls

I don't know about you, but I love to eat appetizers for dinner.  Even at restaurants, many times I love their starters better than their entrees.  Check out the Wild Buffalo Rolls at Moosehead Hoof and Ladder in Olmsted Falls.  They are my favorite dinner there.  So, in that same vein, here's an appetizer for dinner.

Spring roll wrappers, salt and pepper, peanut oil, lump crab meat, dijon mustard, lime, scallions, mayonnaise, thai red chili sauce and cilantro.

Pick through the crab meat and check for shell pieces.

Chop up the scallions

Combine the crab meat with the mustard (I used a whole grain country mustard), the scallions, mayonnaise and cilantro.

Squeeze in the lime juice.

Mix it all up until well combined.

Take the spring roll wrappers out and gently moisten with water.

Place a bit of the crab meat mixture onto the wrapper.

Wrap up, trying to keep it as straight and evenly spread as possible.

Fold the wrapper in a sort of envelope fashion.  You need to work rather quickly as possible since the wrapper will get very sticky and it will dry out making it difficult to wrap evenly.

Do a final roll, evening out the mixture inside.

Heat up the peanut oil and place the rolls into the hot oil.  You can check to see if the oil is just right by placing a drop of water on the oil.  If it merely fizzles and sputters a bit, wait until the oil is hotter.  If the single drop bounces and pops, then it's ready.  If you have enough oil, make it deep enough to submerge the rolls, otherwise, turn the rolls to make sure all sides brown evenly.

The rolls didn't really like to brown for me.  I risked burning them trying to get them golden.
Interestingly, the picture of Ramsay's spring rolls looked like they were wrapped in wonton wrappers.  I suppose it's possible that there are different kinds of spring roll wrappers.  His look crispy and golden and delicious.  Mine?  O.K.  The filling was good, but the unevenly crisped wrappers were a distraction.  The chili sauce was a yummy dip.  I won't make them again, but they weren't bad for a one time treat.

I'd say it took about 40 to45  minutes.  I wasn't very adept at the rolling and I think it took too long to cook them in the oil.  If they could have been submerged in the oil, that would have shaved off a bit of time.  I think these would have been good as a side dish to a soup like a wonton soup or a hot and sour soup.  Give it a try and let me know.

"Crab Spring Rolls -- Done."