Vietnamese Summer Rolls Recipes

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in each of the 3 large pots. Salt the water as it reaches a boil. In another pot of boiling, salted water, add the chicken. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Chill fully in an ice bath and drain. Slice into thin strips and place in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Leaving the shrimp in their shells, drop them into 1 pot of boiling, salted water and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to an ice bath until fully chilled. Peel each shrimp, discarding the shells, and slice in half down the length of the shrimp so that you have 2 flat, identical crescent-shaped pieces. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Drop the bean thread noodles into the third pot of boiling salted water and cook until done, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and cool under cold, running water. When cooled, sprinkle with a little sesame oil, to taste. Toss the noodles until they are all lightly coated with the sesame oil. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to assemble the rolls, line up all of the components?the chicken, shrimp, noodles, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, mint, and basil, in their own containers?on the work surface or table.
• Fill a large, flat bowl with warm water, making sure it is large enough to fit the rice paper wrappers. Lay a clean towel on the workspace in front of you. Carefully dip the round wrapper into the water, just to get it wet all over, trying not to crack it. It will still be slightly hard. Remove it from the water and lay it onto the clean towel, where it will continue to soften.
• Layer a small amount of each of the ingredients on the bottom 1/3 of the wrap. Start with a few strips of chicken, then 2 to 3 pieces of shrimp, then some noodles, then some lettuce, then some slices of cucumber, followed by some shreds of carrot, and then a pinch each of mint and basil. Fold up the bottom 1/3, fold in the sides and roll up the rest of the length to make an egg roll shape. Set aside and continue with the rest of the ingredients until all of the rice wrappers are used.
• Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

Steps:

• Dip a sheet of rice paper a third of the way into a bowl of hot water for about 2 seconds. Turn it and dip remaining section, then lay on a damp towel.
• Working on bottom third of rice paper, spread a bit of lettuce, noodles, carrots, herbs and pork and/or shrimp. Fold up bottom edge to cover, then fold in the sides. Roll tightly. Continue with remaining ingredients.
• Combine fish sauce, sugar, ginger, chili-garlic paste and about 1/4 cup water. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve rolls right away, or refrigerate, lightly covered, up to 2 hours. Cut each roll into 2 or 3 pieces, then serve with dipping sauce and lime wedges.

Steps:

• Make the dipping sauce by pounding the garlic, chilli, ginger and sugar together using a pestle and mortar, then stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Alternatively, just blitz everything together in a mini blender.
• Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water for 15 mins, then drain well. Assemble all the prepared filling ingredients - once you start, you will need everything to hand.
• When you are ready to make the rolls, dip one of the rice papers in a bowl of hot water, moving it around until the whole wrapper is soft - about 10-15 secs - then drain on a tea towel.
• Place a rice paper wrapper on a board and at one edge of the wrapper, add a few mint leaves, then three prawn halves.
• Place some lettuce on top of the prawns, followed by some noodles, a few strips of carrot and cucumber, some more herbs and finally some beansprouts. Don't overfill the pancakes or they will be hard to roll.
• Lift the edge of the rice paper wrapper nearest to you over the filling and, holding the filling in position with your fingers, start rolling up tightly.
• When you're about halfway, fold the ends of the rice paper in and over the filling so that it is completely enclosed.
• Keep on rolling tightly until the whole rice paper wrapper is rolled up. To serve, cut the rolls in half on the diagonal.

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.
• In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
• Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.