Mama’s Spring Rolls

Place shiitake mushrooms and black wood ear mushrooms in separate small heatproof bowls; add enough hot water to both bowls to cover mushrooms. Let stand, undisturbed, until mushrooms soften, about 20 minutes. Drain separately, and thinly slice mushrooms. Set both aside separately.

Gently stir together pork, scallions, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and white pepper in a medium bowl using chopsticks or clean hands until evenly distributed.

Heat neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add pork mixture; cook, using a spoon to break pork into small pieces and stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and sugar until pork is evenly coated. Add shiitake mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrot; cook, stirring often, until tender, about 1 minute. Add cabbage and wood ear mushrooms; cook, stirring constantly, until cabbage is wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Whisk together 3 tablespoons water and starch in a small bowl; add to skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Drizzle with sesame oil; turn off heat, and let filling cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Working with 1 wrapper at a time, place wrapper diagonally in front of you with point facing down (like a diamond shape). Cover remaining wrappers using a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Place 2 scant tablespoons cooled filling in center of wrapper in a cigar-like shape, about 4 inches long. Fold the right and left sides of wrapper in toward center, and tightly fold bottom corner over filling; roll tightly to form spring roll. Dab a small amount of additional water on top corner to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining wrappers and filling.

Pour additional neutral cooking oil into a large pot to a depth of 1/2 inch; heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Working in 4 batches, add 5 spring rolls to pot, and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch, turning as needed. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate, and let drain; repeat frying process with remaining spring rolls, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature.