Salmon, Peas & Sprouts in a Spring Roll
You may have encountered spring roll wrappers at a Vietnamese restaurant–they’re usually listed under “Appetizers” and are served with a filling of rice and raw veggies. (The pliable, somewhat-sticky wrappers contrast nicely with the crunchy interior.) Though we don’t generally encounter them outside of this setting, there’s no reason why you can’t use them for a variety of applications; Asia’s answer to the tortilla provides the home cook with plenty of opportunities for wraps and rolls.
In this version, I stacked leftover salmon, snap peas, and bean sprouts along the center of the wrappers and then folded over the edges. (The snap peas were steamed in lightly-boiling water for 5 minutes and then drained.) My dipping sauce was a quick mix of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Talk about a fast and exotic lunch!
If you’ve never used rice wrappers before, though, a warning: timing is everything. Initially, they’re dry and stiff–you have to soak them in a shallow pan/plate of cold water to soften the fibers. If you leave them in the water for too long, they’ll begin to disentegrate; if you don’t give them enough time to soak, you won’t be able to fold them. (Also, never heat them! Egg roll wrappers are the ones that are filled and then deep-fried–their rice cousins are much more delicate.) I would advise soaking the wrapper for about 30 seconds and then testing by dint of lifting it out of the water. If it’s still too stiff, let it soak for another 30 seconds and then test again. Repeat as needed.
Enjoy your creations!
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Tags: gluten-free, peas, rice paper, salmon, spring roll, sprouts, vietnamese, wraps
