Ai's Shrimp Spring Rolls

Ai's Shrimp Spring Rolls

(Goi Cuon Thom)

I made these at our friends Ming & Ray's "Party on the Pier" this weekend.  It was INCREDIBLY HOT  and I couldn't stand to look at warm food not to mention eat it.   The only thing I had on the brain was spring rolls.  Vietnamese spring rolls ("goi cuon") are rice paper wraps with rice noodles, fresh veggies and boiled shrimp and/or pork.  They can be eaten year round, but are especially popular in the summer.  Traditional spring rolls are made with shrimp and pork (with the fatty skin included).  I just prefer not to make this for my family and definitely omit this when I'm making them for a party.  You can also use sliced chicken breasts, which works just fine. 

Those who have had the pleasure of eating "goi cuon" are already salivating right now.  For those who haven't, I will try to describe in words the experience.  As soon as it hits your tongue, you taste a nutty sweetness from the peanut sauce dip.  Every bite is soft, chewy and crunchy at the same time.  We kept the rolls in a cooler which made these even more fantastic when it's over 100 degrees out.  Just make sure to keep them covered the whole time to prevent the wraps from drying out. 

I am sharing with you our family recipe.  This is based on my personal preference on how I like to eat my spring rolls.  I like to add a variety of texture to all my dishes and spring rolls are no different.  Therefore I use a large variety of veggies:  Iceberg Lettuce, Green Leaf, Green & Red Cabbage, Cucumbers, Carrots and Jicama.  I know off the bat it may seem like a lot of veggies.  However, if you have the all the tools (see below), it'll be a cinch.  I guarantee you will not get this at a restaurant, but it tastes so much better, looks better and is much healthier too.  This is a great way for parents to squeeze in nutrient dense veggies without protest.  Even kids who absolutely hate veggies will devour this.  You can really add whatever you want in the veggie department.  Below is the recipe for Ai's Spring Rolls. 

Ingredients

2-3 Dozen Small to Medium Cooked Shrimp  (sliced in half)

1 Pack of Rice Paper Wraps

1 Pack of Rice Noodles 

1/2 Iceberg Lettuce

1/2 Green Cabbage

1/4 Red Cabbage

1 Head Green Leaf Lettuce

1 Cucumber (Julienne)

1/2 Large Jicama (Julienne)

2 Carrots (Use kiwi peeler)

1 Bunch of Cilantro (rough chop)

1 Bunch of Mint or Basil 

Non-stick Spray

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce

3 TBSP Sesame Oil

1 Cup Water

Crushed Peanuts for garnish

STEP 1:  Rice Noodles- Boil the rice noodles for 5-6 minutes.  Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.  Spray non-stick all over while you fluff it with your hands so it won't be too sticky when you are ready to work with it.

STEP 2:  Veggies- Use a knife and thinly slice iceberg and green leaf lettuce.  Not paper thin and definitely not bulky or your rolls will turn out bulky.  Since the cabbages are so much thicker, I definitely recommend using a mandolin slicer.  Also use the julienne blade on the mandolin to julienne the cucumber and jicama.  For the carrots, use a Kiwi Peeler and make thin noodle-like strips.   If you don't have one on hand, just omit it.  In this case, carrots tend to be too hard even if you julienne them and will either stick out or are too thick compared to the other veggies.   When you're done, combine all veggies and herbs in a large mixing bowl and toss together.  (Must give credit to my girlfriend Huong who taught me this.  Saves so much time when you wrap.)

STEP 3:  Shrimp- Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.  Depending on how big they are, you can use two or three pieces per roll. 

STEP 4:  Wrap- Find a bowl (or skillet works just as well) that is as wide or almost as wide as the rice paper and fill it almost to the brim with cold water from your sink.  Quickly dunk the rice paper in the bowl.  Make sure you evenly wet the entire surface area front and back.  Lay the rice paper on a cutting board.  Next place two to three pieces of shrimp with the outside skin facing down so it will show though when you are finished wrapping.  Place them at the bottom of the wrap.  Leave an inch of space.  Then take a "five-finger pinch" of veggies and lay it nice and neat over the shrimp.  Do the same with the rice noodles.  A little goes a long way here.  If you put too much on this, it will end up looking like a burrito instead, not to mention  it will be hard to roll. 

STEP 5:  Roll- It's OK if the rice paper still feels a little stiff.  I actually prefer to roll it like this.  You have more control plus it looks better after it softens.   To begin rolling, lift the one inch lip at the bottom, fold it over the stuffing and roll it one time.  Keep it nice and snug.  Once you've made one full roll,  use both hands to fold in the sides.  The paper should be a bit stickier now, which should make it easier for you to do this. Once the sides are folded in, complete the wrap by rolling it all the way through. 

Spray non-stick on a big platter and place your finished spring rolls on it.  If you end up running out of space, spray both sides of a piece plastic wrap, place it on top of your first layer of rolls and stack your second layer on top of it.  (If you're having a party and presentation is important, just use another platter or use a rectangular casserole where you can tuck in the plastic wrap.) 

Peanut Sauce:

If you're good at multi-tasking and want to save time, prep the sauce while you are working on the spring rolls.  Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan except save 1/2 cup of water for the end.  Heat on medium low heat and stay close so you can stir off and on and make sure it doesn't burn.  Towards the end, the peanut butter and hoisin sauce should be 90% blended and thick.  You'll see tiny specks of peanut butter.  Have no fear, this is when you add the remaining water, stir and watch the mix turn completely smooth.  Silky smooth!  If you won't be eating right away, expect the sauce to thicken as it cools completely.  You can always add a bit more water to thin it out if the sauce gets too thick for your liking. 

NOTES:

•  The type of rice paper you use does make a difference.  I have used some terrible ones and now stay loyal to the Three Ladies Brand.  You can get it at most Asian stores. Obviously it has three ladies on the cover.  It's smooth and it holds together well once you're done.  It's also very forgiving if you're a rookie wrapper.   If you can't find this, look for a wrap that is super smooth and lays perfectly flat. 

• Make sure to wipe your cutting  board after a few rolls.  If it's too wet, the rice paper will get too soggy. 

• Extra veggies and rice noodles can be used to make a  Rice Noodle Salad Bowl with any meat or seafood of your choice.  This is also fantastic with Lemongrass Chicken. 

• Must haves for this:

• A Kiwi Peeler is an Asian cook's best friend.  It gives you long, thin noodle-like slivers that you can't get with a mandolin slicer.  This is one of the ways I get my meat-lovin' boys to eat their veggies fresh.  I use this on cucumbers, carrots, jicama and green papaya.  Same veggies, new texture.  This is one of my favorite tools. Why couldn't I have invented this?

• An OXO Salad Spinner  This is another cool must-have.  There's a lot of lettuce and herbs you will be washing and drying for these spring rolls.  Here's what I love about this:
• Larger capacity to dry more veggies
• Push the top down and use it to store veggies that you end up not using
• Use it as a salad bowl.  When making spring rolls, after I spin dry, I take the plastic net out and use it to hold all the veggies and herbs while I'm wrapping.   Read the reviews for this, they're great.   

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