I’m not sure if this is a side dish, a footy snack, a starter, or a fully-fledged white trash dinner, but one thing I am very sure of is that these cheesy mash spring rolls are tasty. Really, really tasty.

I wish I could claim the idea as my own, but I know it came from something I have seen on the electric television or maybe read on the computer internet. Either way, you owe a mysterious individual (or possibly individuals) your eternal thanks for this one, not me. Maybe you can just give me a gentle tip of the cap for bringing it to your attention.

NB The battering of the spring roll is not essential, but it does make it extra special.

CHEESY MASHED POTATO SPRING ROLLS WITH ROASTED CHICKEN GRAVY

3 – 4 cups of left-over mashed potato
1 cup shredded cheese – I used a mixed of cheddar and mozzarella
Salt and pepper (maybe)
8 – 10 spring roll wrappers (from the freezer section of the supermarket)
A small bowl of water for sealing spring rolls
Oil for deep frying
Tempura batter (recipe follows)
Chicken gravy (recipe follows)

Mix the cheese into the cold mashed potato. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Lay your spring roll wrappers out with a corner facing you.
Divide cheesy mash evenly between wrappers.
Roll just like you would roll a spring roll and right before the roll is complete dip the final 2 cm (1 inch) of wrapper into the water and then complete the roll, placing the seal side down to ensure a solid seal. You tube is probably a good place to look if this makes no sense to you.
Repeat until all of the mix is gone.
Heat oil to 180 C (355 F) in a deep fryer.
Get your batter made.
Dip spring rolls into batter, allowing any excess to drip off a little, and then into the fryer. Be careful not to overload fryer or your spring rolls will stick together.
Fry for 2 ½ – 3 minutes or until spring rolls are golden brown, giving your fryer basket a gentle shake after 1 minute to ensure spring rolls are not sticking.
Once cooked keep warm in a low oven until you have fried all of your spring rolls.
Once they’re all done get them on the table with some warm chicken gravy.
Yup. They’re good aye.

TEMPURA BATTER

1 cup each rice flour, corn flour and gluten free self-raising flour
500 ml cold soda water

Mix flours and then whisk in soda water until batter is smooth.

CHICKEN GRAVY

2 kg chicken carcasses or wings
2 brown onions, quartered (you can leave the skin on if you want. It’s OK. I’ll let you in on a little secret; I always leave the skin on my vegetables when I make stock)
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 bulb garlic, sliced through the middle
5 sprigs thyme
Salt and white pepper
½ cup plain flour (or corn flour for gluten free)

Place all ingredients except flour into a baking dish and season with salt and a good hit of white pepper – white pepper is a definitely necessary for my chicken gravy.
Roast at 180 – 200 C (350 – 400 F) for 30 – 40 minutes or until browned.
Once browned get everything into a pot, making sure to scrape all of the little crusty bits from the bottom of the pan and get them in there too.
Cover with water and simmer over medium heat for 3 or so hours. If your stock is now smelling like Nanna’s chicken soup you are ready to make your gravy. (If, on the other hand, your chicken stock is smelling like Nanna’s sock drawer, there is a good chance you have used lavender instead of thyme just like a damn fool.)
Strain your now delicious smelling stock through a sieve into another pot that is smaller than your first pot but will still be big enough to hold the strained stock and return to medium heat.
Reduce stock to 1lt.
Make a slurry out of the flour and 1 cup of water.
Whisking constantly, slowly add ¾ of the flour slurry to the stock, reserving a little to adjust thickness if necessary.
Continue to simmer and stir gravy for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour.
Check the viscosity. If it is a little thick you can whisk in a splash of water to thin it out. If it is a little thin you can whisk in the remaining slurry and cook it out for another couple of minutes.
Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Take what you need and use any extra for fried chicken or a roast chicken and gravy roll or freeze it down for next time you want to eat one of those things.