Thai Shrimp Summer Rolls
The Summer Roll from Thailand is of Vietnamese origin and features fresh, vibrant ingredients through translucent rice paper wrapping with a vinegar based dipping sauce.
The world of Asian rolls can be confusing. Americans are most familiar with Chinese Egg Rolls. Their origins are disputed, but it’s generally accepted that the Egg Roll did not come from China. Food historians believe that it was invented in the US at a New York Chinese restaurant in the early 1930s. Two chefs there have claimed credit, but for certain, the recipe was published in a 1938 cookbook from Chef Henry Low of the Port Arthur Chinese Restaurant located at 45th and Broadway in Manhattan, called Cook at Home in Chinese. There is no egg in the batter of its wrapper nor is there any egg in the roll itself, so it is unclear how the name Egg Roll came to be, but it is theorized that Americans confused it with another type of Chinese roll called Dan Gun that has meat and vegetables rolled inside a very thin fried egg that has been spread out and cooked on a griddle, then rolled with its ingredients.
The predominant flavor of an American Chinese Egg Roll is pork and cabbage. The wrapper is made from wheat and the roll is deep fried.
Egg Rolls are distinctly different from Spring Rolls found in China, Viet Nam, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The wrappers are more delicate, made with rice instead of wheat flour, the cooking techniques vary as do the fillings. They typically are smaller and crispier then the American Egg Roll.
Spring Rolls are often confused with Summer Rolls, the latter being uncooked, served chilled and made with a very delicate translucent rice paper wrapper that holds its fresh ingredients.
Spring Rolls are Cooked; Summer Rolls are Not, and Served Chilled
Summer Roll Wrappers (also known as rice paper, rice paper rounds, spring roll skin, edible rice paper, wraps, "banh trang" in Vietnamese) are used in both Vietnamese and Thai cuisine for preparing fresh or fried spring rolls. The circular wrappers are thin, brittle, and opaque and marked with a cross-hatched pattern. They can be eaten without cooking them once they've been re-hydrated.
Thai Shrimp Summer Rolls
Ingredients
- 18 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and de-veined
- 6 sheets of rice paper
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 large cucumber
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 green onions
- 1 cup leaf lettuce
- hot tap water
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce (like, Kikkoman Less Sodium)
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (like, Marukan Seasoned Gourmet)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 dash Sriracha hot chili sauce (like, Huy Fong)
Instructions
- Whisk the dipping sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Peel and julienne the cucumber into 1-1/2 inch matchstick shapes. Cut the green onions in the same fashion.
- Make sure the cilantro are leaves only, and that all stems have been removed.
- Hand tear the leaf lettuce into shapes roughly two inches long and an inch or so wide.
- Fill a skillet large enough to accommodate the round rice paper with hot tap water. Have all your ingredients ready to go in the order you will make each spring roll.
- Have a platter handy on which you will put the spring rolls in a single layer, and have a damp paper towel nearby large enough to cover the platter.
- Lay out a clean, dry kitchen towel on your work surface ready to receive the wet rice paper.
- When you're ready to start working, you'll want to work rather quickly. Place the rice wrapper in the warm water for 15-20 seconds. You'll get the hang of this pretty quickly. You want the wrapper re-hydrated, but don't overdo it or the wrapper will become water logged and will fold into itself, becoming a gooey mess. When the wrapper is hydrated, pull it out of the water with both hands and lay it out on your kitchen towel. Straighten the edges if you need to.
- Lay out three shrimp end to end at the bottom of the rice wrapper, about 2 inches from the edge of the bottom of the wrapper. Place a cilantro leaf or two on top of each shrimp. On top of that, add the carrots, green onion and cucumber. Finish it off with the lettuce. You want to make sure that you're leaving about an inch on each side of the wrapper uncovered with the shrimp and veggies.
- From the bottom, lay the uncovered portion of the rice wrapper over the stack of shrimp and vegetables.
- Holding the bundle tightly, but not so tight that you tear the wrapper, roll the stack of shrimp and veggies forward. Fold in the sides of the wrapper onto the stack of shrimp and veggies, and then continue to roll the wrapper forward until you have created the spring roll.
- Place the spring roll on your waiting serving platter in a single layer and then cover it with the damp paper towel while you finish making the remainder of the recipe.
- Put the spring rolls in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, still covered with the damp paper towel. This will allow the wrappers to dry out and firm up a bit, making them easier to pick up. Spring rolls are eaten with your hands.
- Cut the spring rolls in half with a very sharp knife and lay out on a serving tray or platter. Serve with individual ramekins of the dipping sauce as each bite of the spring roll is meant to be dipped in the sauce.
