Fresh Spring Rolls

(12)
Yield:
8

This recipe for spring rolls is courtesy of chef Bobby Chinn and can be found in his cookbook, "Wild, Wild East."

Ingredients

  • ½ pound thin Vietnamese rice vermicelli

  • 8 (8 ½-inch) rice papers

  • 8 large lettuce leaves, such as frisee, butter, or red oak

  • ½ cup cilantro leaves

  • ½ cup mint leaves

  • 8 large shrimp, cooked, peeled, and halved lengthwise

  • 24 fresh chives

  • Fish Sauce Dip (Nuoc Cham), for serving

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Add vermicelli to boiling water and cook just until soft. Immediately transfer vermicelli to ice-water bath to cool. Drain and cover with a damp towel until ready to use.

  2. Fill a clean spray bottle with water and mist the surface of the rice papers to moisten. Cover with a damp towel and set aside.

  3. Place another damp towel on work surface. Lay one rice paper on top of towel. Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom third of the rice paper and top with 1/8 of the vermicelli, cilantro, and mint leaves. Roll rice paper away from you, about halfway, pressing down to form a tight cylinder. Fold about 1 1/2 inches from each side over the filling.

  4. Place 2 shrimp halves, cut sides down, over the crease. Top with 3 chives so that about 4 inches of the chives stick out at one end. Continue rolling rice paper away from you to form a cylinder. Seal edges with a little water. Repeat entire process with remaining rice papers and filling.

  5. Cut rolls in half and serve with fish sauce dip.

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