- 2
Makes 4 spring rolls.
Inspired by traditional boiled shrimp and pork Vietnamese spring rolls, Yelo Banh Mi Artisan’s Chef Cuc Lam has leveled up the tried-and-true snack with a sweet and sour twist of Malaysian-inspired mango papaya slaw. Her favorite sauces to serve alongside these spring rolls: hoisin peanut sambal or nuoc mam cham, a chili loaded fish sauce recipe Lam learned from her Mom.
One of the biggest challenges of making spring rolls, according to Lam, is perfecting the consistency of the rice paper before wrapping. “Don’t get discouraged if they don’t look perfect on the first try,” she says. “When dipping the rice paper in warm water, if the paper cracks, it needs more time in the water; if it’s gummy and hard to manipulate, it’s been in the water too long.”
Once you master this recipe, Lam suggests celebrating this Vietnamese classic by hosting a spring roll party. To do this, she suggests having a table-top grill, buttered and ready for guests to cook their spring rolls, spring roll wrappers, bowls of water for dipping the wrappers, and a variety of fillings – proteins fruits, veggies and herbs – for guests to choose from. “Stellar filling options,” she says, “include squid, fresh salmon, thinly sliced ribeye, pork belly, oyster or king mushrooms, pineapple slices, green apple slices and jicama.”
Ingredients
- 8 large shrimp, shell on
- 4 large green lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- Fresh cilantro, to taste
- Fresh mint, to taste
- 4 spring roll rice paper sheets (about 8 ½-inch diameter)
- Warm water (for dipping rice paper)
- 4-8 cucumber slices (sliced thin lengthwise, about 5 inches long)
- 4 ounces rice vermicelli (cooked according to package instructions, drained, and cooled)
- Mango Papaya Slaw (recipe below)
- Peanut Hoisin Sambal (recipe below)
Directions
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp and boil until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Cool shrimp, peel and discard shells. Slice shrimp in half lengthwise for a total of 16 pieces.
Wash lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, cilantro and mint and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
Fill a wide, shallow bowl with warm water. Take one spring roll sheet and quickly dip it in warm water, making sure that the entire sheet is wet. Do not soak. Lay the rice paper on a flat surface. Place one lettuce leaf toward the lower half of the rice paper. Place 1/4 of the bean sprouts on top of lettuce, 1 or 2 slices of cucumber, ¼ of the cooked vermicelli, 1 to 2 tablespoons Mango Papaya Slaw, and cilantro and mint leaves, to taste.
Make the roll by neatly folding the left side inward, repeating with the right side, so that the roll is about 5 inches long. Starting from the bottom, roll the spring roll tightly, until halfway rolled.
Place 4 slices of shrimp at rolled edge. They will be visible, so be sure they are placed neatly. Finish rolling spring roll. Place on serving tray with end of roll down. Repeat dipping, filling and rolling remaining 3 sheets.
Serve spring rolls immediately with Peanut Hoisin Sambal.
Mango Papaya Slaw (note: this makes more than you will need for the spring rolls. Enjoy leftovers as a delicious side)
1 mango
1 papaya
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
Grate mango and papaya in a bowl.
Toss together with sugar, water and vinegar.
Peanut Hoisin Sambal
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
½ cup coconut soda
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (or another tablespoon of sriracha)
2 tablespoons black or white vinegar
Juice of one small lime
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Sauté minced garlic in the sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds.
Add hoisin, peanut butter and coconut soda and stir until blended.
Add sriracha, sambal oelek and vinegar and continue stirring.
Turn off the heat and stir in lime juice.
Allow to cool and place sauce in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Serve with spring rolls.
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