WONDERFUL!!!! You're going to have so much fun. Here's one I did for a party using Lobster, but at the time I made them I was thinking any firm white fish would be really good too. The flavors are great.
* Exported from MasterCook *
LOBSTER-MANGO SPRING ROLL WITH APRICOT VINAIGRETTE
1 cooked lobster tail from a 1 1/2 - 2-lb. lobster
1/2 cucumber -- peeled
1 ripe mango
4 to 8-inch round dried rice paper sheets (or butter lettuce leaves) -- ¥
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T. Apricot Vinaigrette (see recipe) -- (3 to 4)
Serves 12 - one bite (makes 4 spring rolls)
Remove the lobster meat from the shell in one piece & cut the meat lengthwise into quarters.
Trim each piece so that it is about 4" long.
Pull out the digestive tract if it's present.
Remove the seeds from the cuc w/a small spoon.
Discard the seeds.
Cut 4 strips from the cuc, each one about 1/3" thick and 4" long, so that they match the lobster strips.
Make the strips as even as possible. Save any extra cuc for another use.
Peel skin from the mango w/peeler.
Slice the flesh to the pit, squaring it as much as you can.
Cut 4 strips from the mango to match the cuc strips.
Make the strips as even as possible.
Save extra for another use.
Fill a large, shallow bowl with warm water and spread a lint-free dish towel on a work surface.
One at a time, drop the rice paper in the water till all are submerged.
Soak for 3 minutes or till they are completely softened and pliable.
Life the sheets out of the water and spread them out on the dish towel to drain, making sure they don't overlap.
Arrange a strip of each - lobster, cuc, and mango across the bottom third of the wrapper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fold the wrapper over the filling and roll into a tight cylinder up to the halfway mark.
Fold in the two sides and continue to roll till sealed.
Place the roll on a flat plate, seam side down.
Repeat to make 3 more rolls. Allow to rest for a few minutes to seal completely.
To serve, cut the rolls on the bias into thirds. (for Camaraderie, cut in fourths)
Spoon some vinaigrette on a small plate and set a slice on top of the sauce, cut side down. Or, slice the spring rolls into smaller pieces and serve on small plates w/a small ramekin of vinaigrette for dipping.
Can make up to 3 hours ahead
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* Exported from MasterCook *
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
makes 2
2 rice paper wrappers - 6"
2 California Fresh Eggs
OR
3 1/2 ounces liquid or frozen whole egg product
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon jalapeño pepper -- minced
1 tablespoon green onions -- chopped
1 teaspoon cilantro -- minced
1 pinch bean sprouts
2 red pepper strips -- pre-blanched
4 pea pods -- pre-blanched
2 sprigs mint leaves
2 lettuce leaves
DIPPING SAUCE
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic clove -- crushed
2 teaspoons crushed red peppers
1 green onion -- chopped
Immerse rice paper sheets in warm water for 30 seconds to soften. Drain.
To order, scramble eggs with soy sauce, jalapeños and green onions.
Divide egg mixture between the two wrappers.
Add cilantro and sprouts.
Roll tortilla style and tuck in pepper strips and pea pods for garnish.
Present each spring roll with a spring of mint on a lettuce leaf.
Serve with dipping sauce.
NOTES : Rich with contrast, these spring rolls combine east-west flavors and complimentary textures. Soft rice paper wrappers are filled with scrambled eggs seasoned with soy sauce and accented with red peppers and snow peas. To eat, the roll is wrapped in lettuce with the mint garnish and dipped in a zingy red pepper sauce.
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and lastly -
* Exported from MasterCook *
Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)
2 ounces cellophane noodles
1 pound lean ground pork
1 large onion
2 tablespoons tree ears dried mushrooms (nam meo)
3 garlic cloves -- finely chopped
8 ounces crab meat
4 ounces shrimp -- shelled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
20 sheets dried rice paper (banh trang)
4 eggs -- beaten
2 cups peanut oil for frying
Soak noodles in warm water for 20 minutes and cut into 1-inch lengths. Soak Tree Ear in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and finely chop.
Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cut a round rice paper sheet into quarters. Place the cut rice paper on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, paint beaten egg over the entire surface of the rice paper piece. Before filling, wait for the egg mixture to take effect, softening the wrappers; this take about 2 minutes. When you become adept at this, you can work on several wrappers at a time. When the wrapper looks soft and transparent, place about one teaspoon of filling near the curved side, in the shape of a rectangle. Fold the side over to enclose the filling and continue to roll.
After filling all the wrappers, pour the oil into a large frying pan, put the spring rolls into the cold oil, turn the heat to moderate, and fry for 20 to 30 minutes until a lovely golden brown. (This is a special method of keeping spring rolls crisp.)
Serving Ideas : Serve with lettuce, cilantro, mint and nuoc cham
NOTES : The Vietnamese spring rolls are much smaller and more crisp than the Chinese version. Unlike the Chinese spring rolls, they can be rolled in the morning, then covered and refrigerated for several hours before cooking. After cooking they will keep nice and crisp
in 150-degree oven for up to 3 hours.
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If you'll notice in the 'method' using cold oil to start the wraps in.....same principle as my Cold Oil Chicken!!! (love it, you sceptics
) (not you, Labs.
)
![[Image: red20rose20rice20paper2jh7.jpg]](http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/1721/red20rose20rice20paper2jh7.jpg)
