Cajun Egg Rolls (Cajun Eggrolls)

“Cajun egg rolls” (or “Cajun eggrolls”) are a little different from Chinese-American egg rolls or Southwestern eggrolls.  The ingredients vary, but the egg roll can include Andouilla sausage or crabmeat or chicken or shrimp or other ingredients. A rice paper wrapper is usually used, and the Cajun dipping sauce often contains hoisin sauce with a chili kick.
 
“Cajun egg rolls” have been cited in print from the 1980s, when Cajun cuisine achieved widespread popularity.
 
 
Cooking Louisiana
Cajun Egg Rolls
I ran across a recipe the other day for Cajun Egg rolls and figured “what the heck! 
 
I’ll did this one with shrimp, you could use crawfish, crab, ground beef, pork or whatever. This recipe will make 12 to 15 egg rolls depending upon how you stuff them.
 
1 pack 8” x 8” egg roll wrappers (called rice paper or spring pastry)
(Oriental stores have this if it’s not at your grocer)
2 cups fresh shrimp chopped (about a pound)
2 strips bacon cut in small pieces
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 lg. parboiled mirleton (you can leave this out and add one more cup of cabbage or bean sprouts)
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 med. onion chopped
1 stick celery chopped fine
5 green onion leaves chopped
Handful or fresh chopped parsley (1 tbs. dried)
2-3 tsp. minced garlic
A few drops of liquid crab boil
Salt, pepper, creole seasoning, hot sauce and whatever else
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 egg beaten (pastry glue) (...)
 
Mass Recipes
Planet Hollywood Cajun Egg Rolls
1 tablespoon Creole butter
3/4 pound small peeled shrimp
1 pinch Creole spice blend
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup red beans—cooked
1/2 cup red onions—diced
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese—shredded
1/4 cup cheddar cheese—shredded
3 teaspoons green onions—sliced
3 teaspoons parsley—chopped
10 egg roll wrappers
egg wash—(one egg mixed with—2 T. milk)
cornstarch
stockpot with oil for frying
chopped tomatoes and chives for garnish
 
Preheat oven to 350F, heat Creole butter until melted, pour half of Creole butter over shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Spread buttered shrimp single layer onto sheet pan, sprinkle Creole spice blend over shrimp, place in oven and bake for 5 minutes.
 
Once shrimp is cooked, remove and cool. Pour remaining Creole butter with corn kernels and toss well to coat evenly, spread buttered corn kernels single layer onto spread sheet, place in oven and bake for 2-1/2 minutes, remove and cool.
 
Cut shrimp 1/4 inches and in large bowl mix remaining ingredients with shrimp and corn. Mix well by hand, taking care not to mash the mixture.
 
Separate one egg roll wrapper and brush edges with egg wash. Spoon 1/3 cup of the mixture into the center of the wrapper and seal with egg wash. Dust with a tiny amount of cornstarch to prevent from sticking. Continue with remaining egg roll wrappers.
 
Heat oil in stockpot to 350F Gently lower 2 egg rolls into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove from fryer and drain on paper towels. Keep warm and repeat with remaining egg rolls.
   
Triad DIner (NC)
Cajun Egg Rolls ... the Far East meets the bayou! crawfish, andouille sausage and three cheeses, hand rolled and fried crisp; served with red pepper relish and ale mustard ... 6.95
   
Dogfish head Alehouse (Gaithersburg, MD)
ANDOUILLE CAJUN EGG ROLLS
Blackened wood grilled chicken, andouille sausage, mozzarella cheese, red & green peppers, and onions in a spicy sauce.  Served with a Cajun dipping sauce.
$8.00
 
Gabe’s (Villa Rica, GA)
Cajun Eggrolls—shrimp, andouille, cream cheese, and seasonings wrapped in rice paper, fried till crispy, and finished with a zesty Creole sour cream
   
Louisiana Express Company (Bethesda, MD)
Cajun Eggrolls (2)
Crabmeat 5.75
Andouille Sausage 5.00
Chicken 5.00
   
4 September 1987, Dallas (TX) Morning News,:
Cajun egg rolls were stuffed with a mild vegetable-and-shrimp mixture, enlivened by dual sauces—a sweet and spicy Cajun and blazing hot mustard. 
(Atchafalaya River Cafe in Addison, TX—ed.)
 
20 November 1988, Washington (DC) Post, “Cajun’s the Rage in Bethesda”:
Cajun egg rolls are a misguided addition to the menu; they are limp wrappers around plenty of seafood or sausage and red-bean filling, but they taste more ... 
(Louisiana Express Company in Bethesda, MD - -ed.)
 
15 June 1989, Washington (DC) Post, “Virginia Dining”:
The jumbo Cajun egg rolls studded with smoked sausage and the usual Chinese vegetables and small shrimp were a novelty not worth repeating.
(L&N Seafood Grill in McLean, VA—ed.)
 
Google Groups: comp.infosystems.gis
Newsgroups: comp.infosystems.gis
From: Ezra Zubrow
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 00:51:00 EST
Subject: ERASEeating at ASPRS
   
** SEB’S RESTAURANT - 600 Decatur St.  Creole cuisine featuring grilled fish, Cajun eggrolls, shrimp remoulade.  Sunday jazz brunch.  Dinner above $20.  Area: French Quarter.  522-1696  
     
New York (NY) Times (December 4, 1992)
Cajun egg rolls ($4.50), corn, peppers and bits of chicken encased in a crisp wrapper, came with a pleasantly sweet vinegar dipping sauce. 
(...)
Lost Diner
357 West Street (near Clarkson Street), West Village, (212) 691-4332.
 
16 October 1994, Aiken (SC) Standard, pg. 3D, col. 1:
Amy and Robert Valdetero will drive their Cajun Deli Express all the way from Nunez, La, to serve heaping portions of red beans and rice, jambalaya and cajun eggrolls.
     
Google Groups: alt.culture.cajun
Newsgroups: alt.culture.cajun
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Date: 1996/04/30
Subject: Re: Cajun Egg Rolls? 
 
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) wrote:
>At Festival International de la Louisiane in Lafayette I tried
>something called “Cajun Egg Rolls”.  This was basically Seafood
>Jambalaya wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep-fried, served with
>cocktail sauce.
>It was very very very good…but was this something they just made up
>for the occasion?  Is there a cajun culinary tradition involving
>deep-frying rice-based dishes in a dumpling-like wrapper?
>Mike Sullivan, non-cajun but trying to cook like one.
>.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
>Lafayette, LA
 
If you go to just about any local SW Louisiana festival, I think you’ll find these for sale.
 
I’ve been seeing them at various festivals ( Frog, Duck, Rice, Island Fete…) for the last 3 or 4 years…
     
Just another fast-food innovation… 
 
Google Books
Frommer’s USA
by Bill Goodwin
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons
1998
Pg. 312:
Tu Tu’s put on a show—belly dancers wriggle by as sword swallowers perform cutting-edge acts—but food like Cajun eggrolls or tuna sashimi is the real attraction here.
   
Google Groups: rec.food.cooking
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: “Big Willie”

Date: 1998/07/29
Subject: Re: What would you do with a Phyllo dough?!
 
sounds great—here is my fav phyllo dish —
cajun egg rolls
 
andouille sausage (about 1/2 lb)
shrimp-1/2-1 lb, uncooked
bell pepper
celery
onion garlic
phyllo dough sheets
 
sauté vegs til soft in olive oil—i did not put proportions, because it does not really matter—use to your taste add andouille and shrimp—sautee til shrimp are cooked
roll up spoonfuls of mixture in phyllo sheets like an egg roll—bake until browned—
serve with a good seafood sauce, or with a good bbq sauce  
 
Google Books
Best Food Writing 2003
by Holly Hughes
New York, NY: Marlowe & Company
2003
Pg. 126:
Next into the pots will go the Cajun egg rolls (boudin mixture encased in egg roll skins).
   
Google Groups: Angelique’sSmorgaabord
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Angel Luvs Tags)
Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:15:28 -0600
Local: Sun, Dec 16 2007 3:15 pm
Subject: BJ’s Cajun Egg Roll Dipping Sauce:
 
BJ’s Cajun Egg Roll Dipping Sauce:
6 Tbsp. sesame oil
6 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
9 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups hoisin sauce
3 large tomatoes, peeled and seeded
3 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. chili paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat sesame oil and saute garlic and ginger until soft. Add remaining
ingredients and reduce by half.
Serve on side with Cajun Egg Rolls.