Original: English

Fish Sausage (Chikuwa) with Perilla and Cheese Spring Rolls

by 料理研究家ゆかりのおうちで簡単レシピ / Yukari's Kitchen

An easy, fried-free recipe for chikuwa spring rolls with perilla and cheese. Stuff chikuwa with shredded cheese and perilla leaves, wrap them in spring roll wrappers, and pan-fry them in a frying pan. This budget-friendly dish is perfect for lunchboxes or as a snack. The melted cheese is exquisite, and a special dipping sauce is also included.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

To make the dipping sauce, trim the root end of 1 stalk of green onion, cut it in half, then in half again, and slice thinly crosswise, keeping the cut ends aligned.
🕒 01:40
In a bowl, add 1/2 tsp gochujang. Gradually add 1/2 tbsp soy sauce while mixing until there are no lumps.
🕒 02:06
Once combined, add 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp ground sesame seeds, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Mix thoroughly until the sugar granules disappear.
🕒 02:20
Finally, add the sliced green onion and mix briefly to complete the dipping sauce.
🕒 02:38
Rinse 5 perilla leaves under water, and lay them on paper towels to thoroughly dry. Trim off the stems.
🕒 02:50
Tear 1 pc of string cheese into approximately 5 equal pieces.
🕒 03:19
Stuff the holes of 5 chikuwa with the torn string cheese. If the string cheese is too large, adjust the width and be careful not to split the chikuwa. [Key Tip!] If the string cheese is too large, adjust it so it doesn't split the chikuwa when stuffing. Using string cheese is recommended because regular melting cheese can leak out during frying and cause oil splattering.
🕒 03:35
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 1 tbsp water, mixing well to create a flour-water slurry.
🕒 03:59
Prepare 5 spring roll wrappers, placing them with the shiny side facing up and the rough side facing you. [Key Tip!] Use spring roll wrappers with the shiny side up and the rough side facing you.
🕒 04:13
Place a chikuwa on the spring roll wrapper. Roll it once, then fold in both ends towards the chikuwa.
🕒 04:26
At the end of the wrapper, place a perilla leaf (with the surface facing down) and apply a small amount of the flour-water slurry to that area. Roll tightly from the front. [Key Tip!] Apply the flour-water slurry to the end of the wrapper and roll tightly from the front.
🕒 04:38
Wrap the remaining chikuwa in spring roll wrappers in the same way.
🕒 05:00
Add about 2 tbsp vegetable oil to a frying pan and spread it evenly. Heat over medium heat for about 1 minute.
🕒 05:13
Once the oil is hot, place the rolled spring rolls seam-side down in the frying pan and pan-fry.
🕒 05:31
Roll and pan-fry the spring rolls over medium to low medium heat, adjusting the heat as needed, until they have a nice golden brown color all over. Be careful as the spring roll wrappers can burn easily. [Key Tip!] The spring roll wrappers can burn easily, so adjust the heat between medium and low medium, and roll them while keeping an eye on them during pan-frying.
🕒 05:47
Once they have a nice golden brown color all over, remove them from the frying pan.
🕒 06:22
If the tips are not browned enough, tilt the frying pan to gather the oil slightly, and pan-fry the tips of each spring roll.
🕒 06:29