crab-filled egg rolls with ginger-lime dipping sauce

Ingredients

• Servings: 45
• 15 egg roll wrappers
• 1 pound pasteurized lump crabmeat
• 1 quart vegetable oil
• dipping sauce:
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Recipe

• place an egg-roll wrapper on a work surface. center 3 tbs. crabmeat on the wrapper, forming it into a log. fold the corner closest to you tightly over the filling, then overlap right and left corners. then, as if forming a cigarette, roll wrapper tightly, moistening the end with wet fingertips. press to seal. repeat with remaining wrappers and crab.
• heat oil in a dutch oven to 300 degrees. cook rolls, 5 at a time, turning once, until blond, about 2 minutes. drain, cool and refrigerate in a zipper-lock bag. (can be prepared to this point up to 3 days ahead.) reserve oil.
• several hours before serving, mix dipping sauce ingredients together. heat oven to 200 degrees. reheat oil to 375 degrees in dutch oven. cook rolls again, 5 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. drain on a rack set over a lipped cookie sheet and place in warm oven; can be held up to 20 minutes.
• cut each roll into thirds, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with dipping sauce.