LENTIL PÂTÉ BANH MI SALAD ROLLS
MAKES: 10 OR MORE ROLLS
TIME: 1 HOUR
A dollop of homemade lentil walnut pâté adds French flair to these piquant salad rolls inspired by Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. The essentials of a banh mi sandwich—cilantro, daikon (or as in the photo, watermelon radish), carrot, and a creamy veggie pâté—are all here, along with a crunchy surprise: a single cornichon pickle.
BLACK LENTIL PÂTÉ
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon peanut oil or coconut oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons cooking sherry
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 (15-ounce) can cooked black lentils, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Few twists freshly ground black pepper
SALAD ROLLS
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup cucumber matchsticks
½ cup carrot matchsticks
½ cup radish or daikon matchsticks
1 cup cilantro sprigs (use tender stems with leaves)
10 scallion stems (green part only)
10 or more cornichon pickles
10 or more 8-inch rice paper wrappers
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Make the pâté first: in a skillet, sauté the shallots in oil until golden. Then add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the sherry, simmer for 30 seconds, and then add the thyme, mustard, and nutmeg. Turn off the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
2 In a food processor, pulse the toasted walnuts into a meal as fine as possible. Add the lentils and sautéed shallots and pulse into a thick paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the processor bowl. Add the vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Pulse again, then taste and, if necessary, season with another dash of vinegar or salt. Spoon the lentil paste into a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight.
3 When ready to assemble the rolls, prepare all of the salad vegetables first, then whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour into small condiment dishes. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with 1 inch of warm water for reconstituting the rice paper.
4 Get ready to roll! Soften a rice paper wrapper by submerging it in the water dish for about 15 seconds, or until it’s softened just enough to bend; do not oversoak or the wrappers will easily tear. Gently shake away any excess water and spread the wrapper on a cutting board.
5 Arrange on the lower third of the wrapper a few tablespoons of the shredded lettuce, a few strands of cucumber, carrot, and radish, a sprig of cilantro, and a scallion stem. Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of pâté and work into an oblong shape. Press it onto the lettuce and then gently press a cornichon into the pâté. Gently fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll up the wrapper, bottom to top, like a burrito. Serve along with the dipping sauce!
6 Rolls are best consumed within 30 minutes of assembling, but if packed in an airtight, dry container and chilled, they can be enjoyed a few hours later.
Round rice paper wrappers, also called salad roll wrappers or rice paper spring roll wrappers, are common enough in Asian markets and many gourmet and natural food stores that it’s easy to find them in many sizes. Look for large wrappers at least 8 inches wide and up to 10 inches. Chinese black vinegar can be found in most Asian markets, but affordably priced balsamic vinegar makes a decent substitute.