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Tinapa (Smoked Fish), Salted Eggs and Tomato Spring Rolls

Recipe by Connie Veneracion
Crisp wrapper, creamy filling with an irresistible smoky flavor and aroma, these spring rolls can be served as an appetizer or paired with rice for a complete meal.
Spring roll wrappers come in different sizes. Small ones are ideal for this recipe. Because there is fresh tomato in the filling which contains a hefty amount of water, it is best to keep the spring rolls small with only a teaspoonful or so of filling. This helps prevents the spring rolls from turning soggy too fast as they cool.
Please do not be tempted to shallow fry the spring rolls. Deep frying is best to ensure that the wrapper is cooked evenly (read the difference between pan frying, shallow frying and deep frying). Do not overcrowd the pan. That means the spring rolls have to be in a single layer during frying. If they are stacked one on top of the other, the pan is overcrowded.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Modern Filipino
Servings 4 people
Tinapa (Smoked Fish), Salted Eggs and Tomato Spring Rolls Served with Rice, Mangoes and Cucumber
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 salted eggs shelled
  • 2 plump tomatoes halved, seeds discarded and cut into cubes smaller than a quarter inch
  • 1 bird’s eye chili (optional) finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch scallions finely sliced
  • 1 small handful Thai basil torn into small pieces
  • 2 tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish)
  • 20 small spring roll wrappers
  • cups cooking oil for deep frying
  • rice to serve

Instructions
 

  • Halve the shelled salted eggs, dump into a mixing bowl and press with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Add the tomatoes, chili (if using) scallions and basil.
  • Discard the skin, head and tail of the fish. Flake the flesh.
  • Add to the salted eggs and vegetables in the bowl.
  • Toss lightly but throughly until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
    Filling for Tinapa (Smoked Fish), Salted Eggs and Tomato Spring Rolls
  • Wrap one heaping teaspoon of the filling with the spring roll wrapper (see illustrated guide on how to wrap spring rolls). Repeat until all the filling has been used.
    Frying Tinapa (Smoked Fish), Salted Eggs and Tomato Spring Rolls
  • In a fryer, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches.
  • Fry the spring rolls (in batches if necessary) until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  • Half fill bowls with rice, top with spring rolls and serve, optionally, with mangoes and cucumber on the side.
  • Recommended dipping sauce: Vietnamese mixed fish sauce.

Notes

This is an updated version of a recipe originally published in February 9, 2014.
Keyword Milkfish, spring rolls