By: Chef Laura Bonicelli
Making your own spring rolls at home takes a little practice, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time. Prepare to wow your guests with their beautiful presentation and three amazing sauces. Buy your herbs at your favorite Farmers Market!
Risotto with Asparagus
Making Spring Rolls takes a little practice, but they are beautiful even if they aren’t perfect. How can they not be, with all of those fresh, colorful, and tasty ingredients? Just like anything that requires technique – practice makes perfect. Over time, you’ll develop your own way of stacking the ingredients so that you can get the rolls to look precisely the way you want them to and consistent. There are always leftover vegetables, which you can toss together for a quick salad.
The shrimp will cook in less than 5 minutes. Then split them in half crosswise. The glass noodles also cook quickly. Other than that, there’s some chopping and slicing to be done. You can add sliced red pepper, carrots, napa cabbage. Use your imagination and make them your own. Remember that the wrappers are transparent, so you have an opportunity to show off the inside ingredients.
About the Recipe
I work on a damp towel. It keeps the wrapper moist, and it doesn’t stick to it. If you work on a board, the wrapper is more challenging because it will adhere to it. Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and close at hand. I also keep a damp towel and dry paper towels right by me to wipe off my hands as I’m working. The main issue is the herbs. You want to work as cleanly as possible.
The critical thing to remember when creating your roll is you’re stacking the vegetables up on top of the shrimp and on top of each other. You want the stack to be approximately the size of the finished roll. You are surrounding the ingredients with the wrapper; even though it will be a tight fit, you can’t make it smaller if the stuffing spreads out.
Everyone has their favorite dipping sauce for their spring rolls. I’ve included the classic fish sauce-based sauce I love with the roll recipe, but please scroll down for two other favorites, my peanut sauce, and hoisin with peanuts.
I hope you love my Spring Rolls with Three Dipping Sauces! Buon Appetito!
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Step by Step Instructions
Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rice or bean thread noodles
=====
- 8 medium shrimp -- peeled deveined, tails removed
- 8 rice roll wrappers -- 8.5-inches in diameter
- 1 cucumber -- cut in strips
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 leaf lettuce -- torn
=====Dipping Sauce=====
- 4 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic -- minced
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sambal
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Boil the vermicelli (noodles) for 3 to 5 minutes, or cook to package directions. Drain.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Flip over and finish cooking until pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool. Slice each shrimp almost in half crosswise.
- Fill a large bowl or pie plate with hot tap water. Dip one wrapper into the hot tap water for 1 second to soften. Lay the wrapper flat on a damp towel. In a row across the lower half of the center, place the splayed-open shrimp half, cucumber strips, a small handful of noodles, basil, mint, cilantro, and lettuce. Fold the bottom of wrapper up over the filling. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar, and sambal.
Notes
"Chef Laura Bonicelli"
Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut cream or milk
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
- 1 1/2 cloves garlic -- finely minced
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Hoisin
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free soy sauce
- 1/2 cup peanut butter I use a sweetened
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dark or toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Chinese hot sauce or Sambal
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until well blended.
Notes
Copyright:
"Chef Laura Bonicelli"
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