GRILLED FRESH ROLLS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

A FEW YEARS AGO, FIELD ROAST was located on Jackson Street in the International District of Seattle, a vibrant bustling neighborhood often known as Little Saigon. Our office was steps away from a handful of Vietnamese restaurants, and that’s where you could often find me during the lunch hour. Fresh rolls are a popular appetizer in Vietnamese restaurants and traditionally they’re made with minced raw vegetables or cold noodles, resulting in a superfresh, light snack. After sampling more fresh rolls than I care to admit, I was inspired to hop into the ring and create a slightly more substantial version with bits of our grilled sausage in the mix. The result is a flavorful, hearty roll that can double as lunch any day of the week. These rolls are best served within a few hours of preparing, ideally with your favorite sweet chili or peanut sauce.

4 ounces thin rice noodles

2 links Fennel and Garlic Sausage (here) or Field Roast Italian Sausage, sliced lengthwise

1 teaspoon safflower oil

8 spring roll wrappers

8 lettuce leaves

Leaves from 4 sprigs mint

Leaves from 10 leaves basil, cut into chiffonade

Leaves from 5 sprigs cilantro

2 green onions, green tops sliced very thinly on the bias so they curl

¼ pound small daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 medium-size carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 medium-size cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 jalapeño pepper, cut into thin strips (optional)

Sweet chili sauce, for dipping

1. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot (just shy of boiling) water. Allow to soak for 5 minutes, or until soft. Drain off the excess water and set aside.

2. In a skillet or on a grill over medium heat, brush the sausage with oil and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat, and slice each half into two shorter pieces.

3. Build the rolls one at a time: Place a spring roll wrapper in a bowl of warm water just long enough to thoroughly wet the wrapper. Remove the wrapper and allow any excess moisture to drip off.

4. Set the wrapper on a clean work surface and begin stacking ingredients: lettuce leaf, noodles, sausage, herbs, daikon, carrot, cucumber, and jalapeño, if using. Do not try to overload the roll or else the wrapper will rip.

5. Roll up the wrapper like a burrito, tucking in the filling on both sides.

6. The rolls should be served within a few hours, with sweet chili sauce on the side for dipping.

CHEF’S NOTE: The fresh roll wrappers can be a bit tricky to work with if you haven’t done so before. The key is to set up a nice, clean board with lots of space to work. Also, make sure your water is about the temperature that you would use to wash your hands: hot but not scalding. Take your time when you get to the rolling process. Begin by pulling up the side that is closest to you first, then fold in the sides on the left and the right, and finish by rolling it over the final edge away from your body. This is a process that will take a good two or three tries to get right. Don’t worry if a few don’t look perfect, you’ll be a pro soon enough!