Who wouldn't love Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets on game day?
When I was chosen to compete in the Twin Dragon Asian Wrapper Blogger Recipe Challenge, I considered the following:
- I love egg rolls and wontons.
- I am confined to home due to the global pandemic.
- My fridge, freezer and pantry are well stocked, thanks to the scores of Instacart personal shoppers who are willing to roam the supermarkets for me and deliver groceries to my home. I will forever be grateful.
- So, why not?
Disclaimer: Twin Dragon Wrappers provided their Twin Dragon Asian Egg Roll Wrappers and Won Ton Wrappers, without which I might never have known the joy of Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets! Thank you!
About Twin Dragon Products:
- Twin Dragon has been supplying premier Asian food products for over sixty years during which cooks have found clever, delicious, and non-traditional ways to use them. For this contest, Twin Dragon challenged food bloggers like myself to find new ways to feature their wonton and egg roll wrappers in creative appetizer recipes.
- You can purchase Twin Dragon Wrappers at: Walmart, Albertsons, Shaw's, Von's, Stater Bros, Fred Meyer, QFC, Safeway, Associated Stores, Giant Stores, Shop N Shop, Winco, and Price Chopper.
- If they are not in your local store, ask them to carry Twin Dragon Wrapper products!
The Challenge!
The first category of the challenge is Game Day Appetizers, and my mind went immediately to pizza.
Nothing says game day like pizza. One of my favorite pizzas features spicy Polynesian sauce, ham, and pineapple. It is not the typical "Hawaiian" take out pizza. This one has more zing, a sweet but spicy sauce, bacon, ham, and fresh vegetables. I decided to see if I could reimagine it into an appetizer. I present to you, Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets! Deep fried, oven baked, or air-fried!
Here is your shopping list for Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets:
- Twin Dragon Egg Roll Wrappers
- Oil for frying
- Deli ham or Canadian bacon
- Scallions
- Red Onion
- Tomatoes
- Pineapple tidbits
- Bacon
- Mozzarella cheese
- Polynesian Sauce
- orange juice
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- olive oil
- salt
- brown sugar
- pineapple juice
- sweet chili sauce
- cornstarch
Tips for working with egg roll wrappers:
- Keep egg roll wrappers covered with plastic wrap at all times. They dry out quickly if left uncovered. Take only as many as you need out of the package. I did two at a time.
- Do not overfill the egg roll wrappers. For best results and to avoid leakage during cooking, the edges must be sealed tight. Be gentle handling the wrappers. A little rip will leak when cooking.
- Wet the edges of the egg roll pockets before sealing. Use a finger dipped into a small bowl of water use the sauce to moisten the edges as in this recipe. Should any of the filling gets in the seam, push it back in before sealing the edges.
- For deep frying, sacrifice one egg roll wrapper as your "oil temperature tester." Tear off a small piece and drop into the heated oil. If the dough browns too quickly, your oil is too hot. Turn the heat down and try again. The test piece of dough should sizzle when it hits the oil, float to the top and brown slowly.
- Keep fried egg rolls warm on a sheet pan with wire rack in a 200 degree oven while frying the remainder and to keep warm until served.
Tips filling the egg roll wrappers:
- Cut the egg roll wrappers in half diagonally.
- Make sure all the filling ingredients are fairly uniform in size.
- Brush the Polynesian Sauce all the way to the edges.
- Fill the wrappers as seen below.
- Fold wrapper over filling diagonally and press edges together firmly, keeping the filling inside.
- Use a fork to crimp the edges. Do not crimp the folded edge.
Can Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets be made ahead?
Yes, but for the best results, I recommend:
- prepping the ingredients, filling and sealing the egg roll pockets
- wrapping tightly in plastic food wrap
- refrigerating up to a few hours or overnight
- allowing the egg roll pockets to warm to room temperature before cooking
- keeping them wrapped in plastic until ready to fry. (The wrappers dry out quickly if left uncovered.)
Can Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets be frozen?
Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets are best served fresh out of the fryer, oven, or air-fryer. If you have to freeze them, assemble the egg rolls, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and freeze uncooked. When ready to cook, thaw them in the refrigerator, remove and allow them to come to room temperature. Fry, bake or air fry according to the directions in the recipe.
Do I have to deep fry Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets?
I have included instructions for making these in the oven and in an air fryer. My favorite is, of course, deep fried. The air fried and oven baked were just as flavorful, with a bit less crispiness and without the bubbles on the surface. See below for specific directions for each cooking method.
Instructions for Oven Baking:
- If baking in the oven, place the filled wrappers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. When the tops become lightly browned turn the egg roll pockets over and bake on the other side until slightly browned. Turn over again and bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes total.
Instructions for Air Frying:
- If air frying, line the air fryer basket with parchment to prevent sticking if leakage occurs.
- Set air fryer temperature to 325-350 degrees. Cook in the air fryer until the tops becomes lightly brown then turn the egg roll pockets over and cook until lightly browned. Turn over again and cook until the tops are golden brown.
Directions for Deep Frying:
- If deep frying, keep the egg roll pockets cover securely with plastic food wrap until ready to fry.
- In a heavy bottomed pot or a deep fryer add 3" of vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
- When ready to start frying, heat the oil to 300 degrees. If you do not have a candy thermometer use my tip from above to determine if oil is the right temperature.
- If deep frying, sacrifice one egg roll wrapper as your "oil temperature tester." Tear off a small piece and drop into the heated oil. If it browns too quickly, your oil is too hot. Turn the heat down and try again. The test piece of dough should sizzle when it hits the oil, float to the top and brown slowly.
- Place the egg roll pockets into the oil taking care not to overcrowd. I fried only two at a time. Allow them to become lightly brown on one side then flip over to brown the other side.
- They might resist staying flipped, but you can use metal tongs to help hold them in place.
- Remove from the hot oil when lightly golden brown to a sheet pan lined with paper towels.
Note: The nutritional calculations are based on 1 appetizer per person.
Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets
Print PinServings: 12
All the ingredients of a Polynesian Pizza, inside an egg roll wrapper pocket.
Ingredients
For the Polynesian Sauce:
- 2 TBS light brown sugar
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS orange juice
- 3 TBS pineapple juice (divided) (you can use the juice from the canned pineapple )
- 1 inch fresh ginger (small knob of ginger, peeled and quartered)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 dash salt
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3 TBS sweet chile sauce
For the Pizza Pockets:
- 6 squares Egg Roll Wrappers (I used Twin Dragon )
- 3 scallions ( white and green parts, sliced )
- ¾ cup pineapple tidbits (cut in half)
- ⅓ cup red onion (diced)
- 3 Roma tomatoes (core and seeds removed, then chopped)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 oz deli ham (sliced and cubed)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 scallion, sliced thinly for garnish
Instructions
For the Polynesian Sauce:
- To a small saucepan add the brown sugar, extra-virgin olive oil, orange juice, garlic, ginger and 1 TBS of the pineapple juice.
- Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, reduce to low heat.
- Add the remaining 2 TBS of pineapple juice to a small bowl and stir the cornstarch in until dissolved.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce and stir constantly until it thickens and the cloudiness disappears. Remove from heat, stir in the sweet chile sauce, and allow to cool.
For the Pizza Pockets:
- Cook the bacon and crumble.
- Chop the vegetables and ham into a small dice. See picture for reference.
- Grate the cheese.
- Remove the egg roll wrappers one at a time to prevent them from drying out. Cut the egg roll wrapper in half, diagonally.
- Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of sauce to the wrapper, all the way to the edges.
- Take a little bit of the bacon, ham, veggies, and cheese and place on the egg roll wrapper, off to one side, staying away from the edges.
- Spoon a teaspoon of sauce over the filling ingredients.
- Fold the wrapper over the ingredients, and press the edges firmly together. Use a fork to crimp the edge to help it stay together. Continue until all the pockets are assembled and keep them covered in plastic until time to cook.
Instructions for deep frying:
- In a heavy bottomed pot or a deep fryer add 3" of vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.When ready to start frying, heat the oil to 300 degrees.
- If you do not have a candy thermometer use my tip from above to determine if oil is the right temperature. Sacrifice one egg roll wrapper as your "oil temperature tester." Tear off a small piece and drop into the heated oil. If it browns too quickly, your oil is too hot. Turn the heat down and try again. The test piece of dough should sizzle when it hits the oil, float to the top and brown slowly
- Place the egg roll pockets into the oil taking care not to overcrowd. I fried only two at a time.
- Allow them to become lightly brown on one side then flip over to brown the other side. They might resist being flipped, but you can use metal tongs to help hold them in place.
- Remove the pockets from the hot oil when lightly golden brown. Place on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Continue untill all the pockets are fried.
Instructions for oven baking:
- If baking in the oven, preheat to 350 degrees. Place the filled wrappers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in preheated oven.
- When the tops become lightly browned, turn the egg roll pockets over and bake on the other side until slightly browned.
- Turn over again and bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes total.
Instructions for air-frying:
- If air frying, line the air fryer basket with parchment to prevent sticking if leakage occurs.
- Set air fryer temperature to 325-350 degrees. Cook 2-3 at a time in the air fryer until the tops become lightly brown, then turn the egg roll pockets over and cook until lightly browned.
- Turn over again and cook until the tops are golden brown. Continue until all the pockets are cooked.
For serving:
- Place the wrappers on a serving dish alongside the extra sauce for dipping. Garnish with sliced scallions if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg
The Asian Eggroll Wrappers used in this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Polynesian Pizza Pockets were provided by JSL Foods. The rest is 100% my own! You can find these products at JSL Foods, and follow them on Facebook, on Twitter, and Instagram!
#TwinDragon #ChefYaki
I think the perfect pairing on your Game Day table with this dish, are my Hawaiian Manapua Buns!
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