Fried Spring Rolls
Fried Spring Rolls
The Vietnamese
traditionally wrap these fried rolls in soft lettuce leaves, tucking shredded
carrot, cucumber, mint and cilantro between the leaf and roll. The
"roll-in-a-lettuce-roll" is then dipped into a sauce and eaten out of
hand.
Fish sauce and lime
dipping sauce
Table Salad Platter
1 head butter (Boston)
lettuce, leaves separated, carefully washed and dried
1 bunch fresh mint,
stemmed
1 bunch fresh cilantro
(fresh coriander), stemmed
1 large carrot, peeled
and finely julienned
1 English (hothouse)
cucumber, peeled and finely julienned
Spring Rolls
1 bundle (2 oz/60 g)
dried bean thread noodles
2 tablespoons dried small
tree
ear mushrooms
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) finely
julienned, peeled carrots
1 teaspoon salt
1 yellow onion, finely
minced
4 shallots,
finely minced
4 cloves garlic,
finely minced
1 cup (2 oz/60 g) bean
sprouts
1 tablespoon Vietnamese fish
sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly
ground pepper
1 lb (500 g) ground
(minced) dark chicken
meat or pork
36 dried rice paper
rounds, each 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm) in diameter
1 tablespoon sugar
Peanut or corn oil for
frying
Prepare the dipping sauce
and the table salad platter and set aside.
To make the spring rolls,
place the noodles and tree ear mushrooms in separate bowls. Add warm water to
cover to each bowl and let stand until soft, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the
julienned carrots in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let stand for 10
minutes to drain. Squeeze gently to remove excess liquid. Drain the bean thread
noodles and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths. Drain and rinse the mushrooms; chop
coarsely.
In a large bowl, combine
the carrots, noodles, mushrooms, onion, shallots, garlic, bean sprouts, fish
sauce, pepper, and chicken or pork. Using your hands, mix together well.
To form the rolls, first
soften the rice papers: Dampen several clean kitchen towels with water. Fill a
pie plate with cold water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve it. Spread a damp
towel on a flat work surface. Dip 1 rice paper round at a time into the water
and spread it flat on the towel. Continue dipping and laying the rice papers in
a single layer. When you run out of room, lay a damp towel on top of the rounds
and continue, always alternating a layer of rice papers with a damp towel. Let
the rice papers stand until pliable, about 1 minute or longer. For each roll,
shape 2 tablespoons filling into a compact cylinder about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in
diameter and 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and place along the lower edge of a wrapper.
Fold the curved bottom edge up and over the filling in one tight turn. Fold the
outside edges in, then roll up into a snug cylinder. Set on a baking sheet, seam
side down, and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining filling and
wrappers.
To fry the rolls, pour
oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in a large frying pan. Place over
medium-high heat and heat to 350°F (180°C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Using
long chopsticks or tongs, lower a few rolls into the pan, leaving plenty of
space between them. Fry, turning often, until golden brown and crisp, about 5
minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place on a platter and keep warm
while frying the remaining rolls.
Serve the rolls hot or at
room temperature with the salad platter and dipping sauce (see note above).
Per
Serving
Calories: 110
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fat: 4g
Sodium: 179mg
Cholesterol: 10mg
Protein: 4g
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