crunch time

Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

Memorial Day weekend is upon us already; summer is just around the corner, I can smell it! And though the weather hasn’t fully caught up yet, my appetite is changing. Summer rolls are what I feel like eating now. Delicate rice paper packed with crisp veggies, fragrant herbs and tender shrimp, they get a wallop of flavor from two kick-ass dipping sauces: silky Peanut Sauce and tangy Scallion Chile Sauce. They make a lovely light meal, but I also love to cut these rolls and serve them as hors d’oeuvres when I entertain. Crunchy, herbaceous and—dare I say it?—healthy, these will quickly become a summertime staple.

There’s almost no cooking involved here. After a quick boil of shrimp, this recipe is all about prep and assembly. And the beauty of it is, you can vary ingredients to suit your own tastes. Not a fan of cilantro? Omit it. Feel like chicken instead of shrimp? By all means. Traditionally, these rolls are stuffed with rice vermicelli, but I prefer not to use it. Instead of bean sprouts, I’m going with kale microgreens…feel free to fill them with whatever makes you happy.

Vietnamese bánh tráng, or rice paper, is more readily available now than when I first started making these rolls years ago. But be careful what you buy: I mistakenly picked up skins that were made solely of tapioca starch–no rice at all–making them more fragile to work with. Stick with the kind made with a combo of tapioca and rice; Red Rose is a good brand if you can find it (usually at any Asian market).

While you’re at the Asian market pick up these ingredients if you don’t already have them on hand: hoisin sauce, fish sauce (I know it’s stinky, but its flavor is invaluable), Vietnamese chile garlic paste, low sodium soy sauce, toasted sesame oil. Whole Foods will have most of these too and you’ll find plenty of use for them in marinades and sauces during the grilling months ahead.

You don’t have to make both dipping sauces—either one would do—but I think they really compliment each other. Make them first so the flavors have time to meld together.

To make the Peanut Sauce, whisk together peanut butter, water, hoisin sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, chile garlic paste, pressed garlic clove and toasted sesame oil in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, make the Scallion Chile Sauce: mix together lime juice, fish sauce, pressed garlic, sliced serrano chile, sugar and scallions. Set aside.

For this recipe, I use large shrimp; 10 to 15 count to the pound are good–anything smaller might be too small. Peel the shrimp.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes–no longer!–until opaque. Drain and rinse with cool water. Use a sharp knife to halve shrimp lengthwise; set aside.

Assemble your fillings: julienne the carrots, cucumbers and scallions and trim them to the same length. Thinly slice the avocado. Julienne the chile pepper if you’re using it. Pick the basil and mint leaves and cilantro sprigs. Cut large lettuce leaves in half lengthwise.

Set up your mise en place by placing all ingredients, including the microgreens, in bowls–this will make assembling the rolls a breeze.

Fill a large, shallow bowl or pie plate with warm water. Place a rice paper skin in the water and let sit for 10 to 20 seconds until pliable.

Place the skin on a clean board and line up three shrimp halves down the middle, cut side up.

Top shrimp with a lettuce leaf, then layer on julienned veggies, avocado, chile, microgreens and herbs.

To roll, lift the edge of the skin closest to you and fold over the filling.

Fold in each side toward the center, then carefully tuck in and roll away from you, gently pulling the opposite edge over the top. The rice paper is pretty forgiving–don’t be afraid of it.

Repeat with remaining ingredients and rice paper skins. Transfer rolls to a platter as they’re finished.

Serve whole or cut in half on the diagonal with the two sauces in dipping bowls on the side.

Makes 10 to 12 rolls:

Peanut Sauce:

3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
juice of 2 limes
4 1/2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Vietnamese chile-garlic paste
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Scallion Chile Sauce:

juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup fish sauce
3 medium garlic cloves, pressed
1 red serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 scallions, white and light green parts minced, green tops sliced

1 pound large shrimp, 10 to 15 count, preferably wild

2 carrots, peeled
2 to 3 Persian cucumbers, washed and unpeeled
3 scallions, trimmed
1 avocado
1 serrano chile, optional
1/2 bunch basil
1/2 bunch mint
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 head bibb or butter lettuce
1 cup kale microgreens

10 to 12 rice paper skins

print