Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll
One of the best foods I can think of that's just refreshing and I won't get tired of eating would be a Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll. That peanut sauce just hits differently with a chewy wrapper, crunchy veggie, and mint that's just refreshing. There's a Vietnamese restaurant near our old apartment where I would buy their spring rolls all the time. I would eat this while I'm on my way to work on the train. Theirs is the best. I've tried many but I always think about their spring roll. They have something crunchy inside that just makes it extra yummy. As I try to make my own at home, their spring roll is still better. I should pay another visit and maybe ask them what their secret is. They probably won't tell.
For Peanut Sauce:
1/4C Peanuts, toasted and crushed
1t Canola Oil
1t Garlic, minced
3/4C Peanut Butter
1T Hoisin
1T Rice Vinegar
1T Soy Sauce
1T Sesame Oil
1t Sugar
1/2C Water
Toast the peanuts in a pot until golden brown and then crush using a mortar and pestle - set aside for garnish. In a bowl, add the peanut butter, hoisin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and a little bit of water. Mix well and set aside. In a pot, add the canola oil and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add the peanut butter mixture and water. Cook for a few minutes. Once the sauce starts to separate, remove the pot from heat and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Add a splash of cold water and then start whisking until the sauce starts to come together. Add more water to get the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning as needed. When the sauce starts to cool down, the consistency will become thicker and the sauce may separate. Just warm the sauce a little bit, add a splash of water, and whisk again. Garnish with toasted peanuts on top.
For Shrimp:
6C Water
3ea Garlic Cloves, smashed
2ea Bay Leaves
1T Black Peppercorns
2T Salt
1# Shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a pot, add water, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil and then add the shrimp. Once the shrimp is fully cooked, remove them from the pot and let it cool.
Warm Water
1pack Rice Spring Roll Wrapper
1head Red Leaf Lettuce, cleaned
1pack Rice Noodles, cooked
1C Carrots, peeled and julienned
1C Cucumber, julienned
1C Mango, peeled and julienned
1/4C Mint Leaves, picked
Cooked Shrimp, halved
Cook the rice noodles according to the packaging instructions. Clean the red leaf lettuce and set aside. Peel and cut the carrots into julienne. Cut the cucumbers into julienne. Peel and cut the mango into julienne. Pick mint leaves. Slice the shrimp in half. To assemble, dip the rice spring roll wrapper in warm water for about 5 seconds. Start layering the filling with the red leaf lettuce, then add the rice noodles, carrots, cucumber, mango, and mint. Roll one time towards the center making sure the roll is tight. Then add the shrimp. Fold over the sides and roll to close. It's very important to roll quickly because the rice spring roll wrapper will get sticky and hard to roll. When storing the rolls, make sure not to stack them on top or touch each other. Cover with a lightly damp paper towel and plastic wrap so the rolls don't dry out. Serve with peanut sauce.
