Refreshing Summer!
January 13th 2010 04:49
I love that Summer is here. I’ve had enough of cold months and gloomy weather – I was starting to think I was living in London…
Sure, it gets hot…and sticky, and can get uncomfortable at night. It can also get unbearably hot to cook – who wants more heat in the kitchen. Solution? Rice paper rolls!
Rice paper rolls or Summer rolls are fantastic quick and easy meals. It’s great for meals at the table and even on picnics, or even as appetisers – really fuss free eating.
The best part about Rice paper rolls is you can fill it with practically anything you want.
My favourite is seafood with an assortment of vegetables. The other day though, I decided to do it *the traditional* way with some mince. Yummy indeed (but my fav is still with seafood)!
What you need:
A pack of rice paper
1 small can of water chestnuts – diced or lightly minced
1 bag of bean sprouts – cleaned
1 cucumber – halved lengthways, then thinly sliced diagonally
A sprig of coriander– leaves plucked
1 tablespoon Rice wine
Hoisin sauce
Chili sauce
1 shallot – diced/sliced thinly
*Ingredients (except the pack of rice paper) make about 14 rolls.
What to do:
1…Marinate mince with a tablespoon of rice wine and Hoisin sauce – salt and chilli sauce/flakes optional. Set aside.
2…Boil a kettle of water, as you prep the ingredients – this is for use with the rice paper later.
3…Put a pot of water to boil. Dock the tails of the bean sprouts. Blanch the sprouts in the hot water. Set aside.
4…Stir-fry the mince with the eshallot. When meat is almost cooked and brown, add the chestnuts and continue cooking till meat is cooked and chestnuts soft (but still has a bit of crunch). Set aside to cool.
5…Mix as much Hoisin sauce and chilli sauce together in a small bowl. I usually use 3-4 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce and 2 tablespoons of chilli sauce, plus a tablespoon of hot water – just to dilute it a little so that it’s not too salty.
Making the rolls:
1…Follow instructions on the pack of rice paper, using the boiled kettle of water boiled – which shouldn’t be too hot now.
2…Spread a bit of the sauce on the rice paper and start filling it with the ingredients (in the center of the paper).
3…Fold the bottom of the paper over the filling (towards the center), then fold in each side (the left and right sides inwards towards the center). After that, just continue rolling-up.
Tips…
...you can be as creative as you want with the choice of filling – I’ve tired different variations with crab meat, shredded chicken and also just with an assortment of vegetables. All delicious!
…If you find the rice paper too damp (after softening it in the water), place it briefly on a paper kitchen towel to help soak-up the water.
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