January is the month when many strive to eliminate that tummy roll that mysteriously appears after the holiday season. But there is one roll which you might want to consider adding on... the salad roll!
A Goi cuon, meaning “mixed salad rolled, summer roll, or fresh roll,” is a Vietnamese dish consisting meat, herbs, bún (rice vermicelli), and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper. It’s an elegant salad wrapped up into a roll.
The classic filling for the roll is made with chilled boiled shrimp and cold roast pork, combined with bean sprouts, herbs (Thai basil is a classic), lettuce, and chilled thin rice noodles. But you can put whatever you like inside them.
Chopped up pieces of avocado, red pepper, scallion, shredded carrots, tofu, shrimp, crab, mango, cucumber, tender snow peas, cabbage, cilantro, mint are some filling choices that will take the roll to new levels.
The one necessary component of the salad roll which has not been substituted from the traditional version is the wrapper — the rice paper.
Called banh trang, the opaque wrappers contain white rice and water, and sometimes to add some gluten, a bit of tapioca flour. They are pressed flat, steamed, and dried on bamboo mats, which gives them a distinctive basket-weave pattern. Available in 8- and 5-inch sizes, the wrappers are brittle, and quite thin.
And therein lies the mystery. How do you wrap and roll with something so stiff and brittle? A quick dip in hot water makes the wrappers pliable.
Once they are softened in hot water, rice papers become translucent allowing you to see what’s inside. This adds to the visual appeal making the presentation more interesting.
Also, since the rice paper has no real taste of its own it’s a good vessel for almost any type of filling. Another great thing about the rice paper is that they are very inexpensive (package of 50 for $3) and have a long shelf life. Use what you need and store the rest in a Ziploc bag — a perfect “always in your pantry “staple.
The pre-prep takes more time than the actual assembly. Once the paper is softened it needs to be used up quite quickly, so it is important to have all your ingredients ready to go before you start.
Because the rice paper is delicate, it is important to cut up your vegetables and meat into thin pieces. Chunky vegetables can tear the paper, so tear off the spine from the lettuce leaf and grate the carrots. Herb leaves should be torn off their stems. In general, ingredients should be shaped as thin and long as possible to conform to the shape of the roll.
Most traditional Vietnamese rolls also have vermicelli rice noodles included. As mild tasting as the wrapper, the fine noodles give the roll some substance and are great for dipping the roll as it picks up the sauce and holds it for you to enjoy. These work best if they are prepared in advance and cooled before using.
How you layer the ingredients does not matter much, though do consider how you want to experience the flavours.
Just before making the rolls, set up a work station. Fill a deep pie plate with hot water. You will need to change this water to keep to temperature. It needs to be hot enough to soften the paper quickly but not too hot that you can’t dip you fingers.
Set all the ingredients up on a table in the order you will use them to make it easy to grab. Set up your rice paper, hot water, and a series of bowls and plates holding the filling ingredients.
Take one rice paper and submerge it in the hot water and work the edges to moisten them as well as the center. When moistened, but not too soft, remove it from the water and gently lay it down on the rolling station and smooth out the sheet to a flat circle. A plastic cutting board does not hold on to the paper and works the best.
When wrapping, mentally divide the disc into three sections. Place filling in the bottom third of the wrap. Bring the lower edge up over the filling, then fold in the two side flaps.
Start rolling and wrapping the ingredients in the rice paper, closer to the end of the roll, add halved prawns and continue until completely wrapped. This way the prawns show through the rice paper. No need to use a sealant because the gluten in the wrapper will self-seal .
Also, don’t over-stuff or the roll may burst. The large rice paper size may make you think burrito, but you’re actually going for something the size of an egg roll.
If you mess up, rice paper is forgiving. Plus, an 8- or 12-ounce package contains plenty of papers for you to practice. And if you are worried that your filling is going to fall out, just double wrap to cover any tears.
This will also makes the roll more stable and easier to eat.
Finally, like any salad, salad rolls need a dressing to bring out the fresh flavours of the ingredients. Hoisin. sweet chilli, and my favourite — spicy peanut sauce — make ideal sauces for this roll.
Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls
2 ounces rice vermicelli
8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)
8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half
1 1/3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 leaves lettuce, chopped
Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain. Cool completely. Assemble roll as mentioned above and serve with peanut sauce.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon chilli sauce (optional- if you like it spicier)
2 tablespoon cilantro, minced
Whisk together all of the ingredients. Adjust the seasonings to your preferred taste and add more peanut butter or coconut milk/juice depending on how thick you like it.
Madhu Badoni is a Red Deer-based freelance food writer. She can be reached at madhubadoni@gmail.com. Watch for Madhu’s Masala-Mix blog on www.reddeeradvocate.com.