DORSET’S best-known Indonesian cook, Yayu Slocock, says spring rolls are one of her favourite nibbles over the festive season.

She tells Taste: “Indonesian spring rolls have become a favourite with my family, friends and guests, particularly at this time of year and in the run up to Christmas.

“It makes an excellent nibble with drinks. We also serve these as a starter with sweet chilli sauce or a variety of dips,” she added.

The recipe is taken from Yayu’s latest book, Yayu’s Simply Indonesian, a fully illustrated guide that brings authentic Indonesian cookery to life and gives a special insight into the flavours of Indonesia.

Passionate about food, Yayu was born in Blitar, in East Java, the birth place of the first President of Indonesia, and travelled extensively before eventually settling in Wimborne.

From a line of ancestry reaching directly back to the ruler of the last great kingdoms of Indonesia, Yayu grew up schooled in the preparation of traditional Javanese dishes, especially as to what spices and ingredients to use to enhance dishes.

Yayu’s ‘quick tip’ is to make plenty of spring rolls, as they can be put in the freezer and brought out to cook, from frozen, just when they are needed for that special occasion.

Yayu's Simply Indonesian book – priced at £9.99 – is available from amazon.co.uk or at Gullivers book shop Wimborne or from her publisher at printsolutions.co.uk

Spring Rolls recipe: Makes 50 small rolls or 25 large rolls

Ingredients

The Filling:

500g chicken breast,

1 tin bamboo shoots,

1½ medium onions,

4 medium carrots,

3 spring onions,

3 cloves garlic,

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger vegetable oil (for deep frying),

3-4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce,

½ tablespoon vegetable oil (for sauté),

1 egg white,

1 teaspoon salt,

¼ teaspoon pepper corns

Optional: 6 Asian shallots (to be sliced finely and fried separately)

Pastry Wrap:

1 packet spring roll wrapping (25 large or 50 small) – different-sized packets can be bought from Chinese food shops; do not use filo pastry as this is too brittle and will absorb too much oil

Sweet Chilli Sauce: (Optional)

1 spring onion,

1 clove garlic,

1-3 small red Asian chillies (cabé rawit),

1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce,

1 teaspoon salt,

1 teaspoon white sugar,

1 teaspoon vinegar/lime/lemon juice,

½ cup water

Optional: 1-2 tablespoons dried prawns (washed and soaked in water for about an hour)

Method for Filling:

1. Peel, wash and cut the carrots into tiny matchsticks; finely slice the bamboo, spring onions and onions.

2. Crush the garlic and ginger and put this to the side for later use.

3. Mince the chicken and put to one side. Sauté the onions for two minutes in the vegetable oil and then add the minced chicken.

Stir fry for about three minutes before putting in the crushed ginger and garlic, salt and ground pepper corns.

Mix in the bamboo, carrots and sweet soy sauce for five-10 minutes, making sure to stir well. In the last minute add the spring onions and fried shallots.

4. Check the taste then set aside until completely cool.

Method for Pastry Wrap:

Take one spring roll wrapper, put about two teaspoons, for small rolls, of the filling onto a corner.

Pull the corner over the filling and then roll up, but leave the furthest corner free, just like the flap of an envelope.

Fold the two side flaps into the centre, brush the end flap with egg white and fold over so that the roll is sealed.

Deep fry the spring rolls until they turn a light brown colour. Serve with a peanut or sweet chilli sauce.

Method for Sweet Chilli Sauce: Crush all of the ingredients together and bring to the boil then simmer for five minutes. Check for taste and add more salt if required.

Optionally, you can sift the boiled ingredients to get a smoother product.

Note: You can use minced beef, prawn or vegetables instead of chicken breasts in this recipe.