Fresh Spring Rolls have never been my favorite in a Vietnamese restaurant, packed with rice vermicelli, a few shrimp and tasteless! However, you will find Spring Rolls that you make at home can be very tasty as you add your favourite vegetables and seafood. This is also a perfect Lenten dish.
The rolls use rice paper wrappers which are dipped into water before rolling up. These wrappers are easily found in Superstore or any Asian Market.
It does take some practice to master handling the rice paper. I would disregard any of the directions about warm water and timing as you still have a glutinous mess of rice paper. I have found that the best way to make firmly wrapped rolls is to first have all your ingredient ready before starting.
The temperature of the water does not seem to matter. Using a round pan, dip the wrapper into the water only to wet the wrapper and turn over quickly so the other side gets wet and take it out when wrapper is still stiff.
Place your seafood in the middle and then layer your filling,
Bring the bottom of wrapper up over the filling, then both sides of the wrapping and then roll up to top of the wrapper. By doing this you can see the seafood through the transparent wrapper. If making the rolls ahead of time, I found that you did need to spray the plate with oil so that the rolls doesn't stick to the dish and rip.
Fillings
- Garlicky Shrimp
- Alaskan Pollack
- Carrots julienned
- Cucumber julienned
- Red pepper julienned
- Scallions, sliced thinly
- Rice vermicelli, cooked
- cabbage, shredded
- avocado
- bean sprouts
- Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, mint
Dipping Sauces such as Hoisin Sauce, Peanut Sauce and Sriracha are set out for dipping the rolls in! Lettuce can be added to the fresh roll, in fact wrapping the fresh veggies in the lettuce can help prevent the vegetable ripping the wrapper. I like to use the Romaine lettuce leaves as another wrapper and roll the fresh roll in the lettuce before eating.
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