Rice Paper Vegetable Rolls
Shorey loves raw vegetables, so I decided to make these rice paper rolls with her. Here, I fill the rolls with fresh vegetables, but feel free to use whatever is at hand: shrimp, salad, dried tomatoes, leftover meat or fish. I make a sauce with soy, hoisin, and sesame oil, but mayonnaise with hot sauce or sour cream is appropriate as well. I assemble no more than three rolls at a time, because the wrappers tend to dry out on the work surface. I also dampen the board I roll them on, so they stay pliable. Although one wrapper per roll is the conventional choice, I use two rice papers for each roll because I like the chewiness and texture and these tend to be sturdier; you can use just one per roll if you prefer. All they need is to be moistened on both sides with water; after about 20 seconds, they become soft and pliable.
Rice paper spring roll wrappers are available at Asian markets or on the internet. The rolls can be prepared a couple of hours ahead. Cover so they don’t dry out, and refrigerate.
Serves 6
- 12 rice paper spring roll wrappers (8 to 9 inches in diameter)
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
- 6 thin scallions, cut into pieces about 1 inch long
- 1 avocado (about 8 ounces), halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 12 wedges
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 12 oil-cured black olives, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces
- sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
Run 3 of the rice papers under cold water to moisten them on both sides and place them on a wet cutting board. After 20 or 30 seconds, they will soften and become pliable. Place some shredded carrot and a few pieces of scallion in the center of each wrapper; leave at least 1 inch of rice paper visible on both sides of the vegetables. Mix the avocado slices with the lemon juice and place 2 wedges on each wrapper. Add a few slices of radish, 2 basil leaves, and some pieces of olive.
Fold about one third of the top part of the wrapper over the vegetables, then bring the sides of the wrapper over the vegetables and roll up to create a secure roll. Repeat with another 3 wrappers to make a total of 6 rolls. Moisten the remaining 6 wrappers and wrap a second rice paper wrapper around each roll.
For the sauce: Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Serve the rolls whole or in halves, with the dipping sauce.
To see how it’s done, go to www.surlatable.com/jacquespepin.
