Southeast Asian–Style Spring Rolls with Shrimp
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
1¼ hour
Yield
Makes 8 spring rolls
Ingredients
1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 ½ tablespoons fermented fish sauce such as nuoc mam 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice from one lime1 teaspoon table salt 3 ounces rice vermicelli 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled with tails removed1 large carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater (about ½ cup)⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts 1 medium jalapeño chile or 2 Thai chillies, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut according to illustrations below4 leaves red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce, halved lengthwise8 round rice paper wrappers (8 inches in diameter)½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves or mint leaves, small leaves left whole, medium and large leaves torn into ½-inch pieces½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Thai basil, do not substitute regular basil; its flavor is too gentle to stand up to the other flavors in the filling. Mint makes a better substitute. If you are unable to obtain fish sauce, substitute an equal amount of rice vinegar plus 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spring rolls are best eaten immediately, but they can be held for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator, covered with a clean, damp dish towel. Serve with our peanut dipping sauce.
Instructions
- Combine sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in small bowl; set aside.
- Bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in salt and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to small bowl. Stir in rice vermicelli. Cook until noodles are tender but not mushy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain again and transfer to medium bowl; toss 2 tablespoons fish sauce mixture with noodles and set aside.
- When shrimp is cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.
- Combine carrot, peanuts, and jalapeño in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixture; toss to combine. Toss cucumber in remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixture.
- Place lettuce on platter. Spread clean, damp kitchen towel on work surface. Fill 9-inch pie plate with 1 inch room-temperature water. Working one at a time, immerse each wrapper in water until just pliable, about 10 seconds; lay softened wrapper on towel. Scatter 6 Thai basil leaves and 6 cilantro leaves over wrapper. Arrange 5 cucumber sticks horizontally on wrapper (see illustration 1, below); top with 1 tablespoon carrot mixture, then arrange about 2 1/2 tablespoons noodles on top of carrot mixture. Place about 2 tablespoons of the chopped shrimp on top of noodles. Wrap spring roll according to illustrations 2 through 4, below; set on 1 lettuce piece on platter. Cover with second damp kitchen towel; repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with dipping sauce, wrapping lettuce around exterior of each roll.
Time
1¼ hourYield
Makes 8 spring rollsIngredients
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons fermented fish sauce such as nuoc mam
2 ½ tablespoons lime juice from one lime
1 teaspoon table salt
3 ounces rice vermicelli
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled with tails removed
1 large carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater (about ½ cup)
⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 medium jalapeño chile or 2 Thai chillies, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut according to illustrations below
4 leaves red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce, halved lengthwise
8 round rice paper wrappers (8 inches in diameter)
½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves or mint leaves, small leaves left whole, medium and large leaves torn into ½-inch pieces
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons fermented fish sauce such as nuoc mam
2 ½ tablespoons lime juice from one lime
1 teaspoon table salt
3 ounces rice vermicelli
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled with tails removed
1 large carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater (about ½ cup)
⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 medium jalapeño chile or 2 Thai chillies, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut according to illustrations below
4 leaves red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce, halved lengthwise
8 round rice paper wrappers (8 inches in diameter)
½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves or mint leaves, small leaves left whole, medium and large leaves torn into ½-inch pieces
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons fermented fish sauce such as nuoc mam
2 ½ tablespoons lime juice from one lime
1 teaspoon table salt
3 ounces rice vermicelli
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled with tails removed
1 large carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater (about ½ cup)
⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 medium jalapeño chile or 2 Thai chillies, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut according to illustrations below
4 leaves red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce, halved lengthwise
8 round rice paper wrappers (8 inches in diameter)
½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves or mint leaves, small leaves left whole, medium and large leaves torn into ½-inch pieces
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We set out to develop an easy-to-make spring roll recipe packed with fresh, bright flavors and accompanied by a spicy, not-too-sweet peanut sauce for dipping. We found that we needed to soak the spring roll wrappers in room-temperature water for only 10 seconds. Marinating the noodle and vegetable filling ingredients gave our spring roll recipe superior flavor. We eliminated sugar from the peanut sauce, which can be cloying.
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Thai basil, do not substitute regular basil; its flavor is too gentle to stand up to the other flavors in the filling. Mint makes a better substitute. If you are unable to obtain fish sauce, substitute an equal amount of rice vinegar plus 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spring rolls are best eaten immediately, but they can be held for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator, covered with a clean, damp dish towel. Serve with our peanut dipping sauce.
Instructions
- Combine sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in small bowl; set aside.
- Bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in salt and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to small bowl. Stir in rice vermicelli. Cook until noodles are tender but not mushy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain again and transfer to medium bowl; toss 2 tablespoons fish sauce mixture with noodles and set aside.
- When shrimp is cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.
- Combine carrot, peanuts, and jalapeño in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixture; toss to combine. Toss cucumber in remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixture.
- Place lettuce on platter. Spread clean, damp kitchen towel on work surface. Fill 9-inch pie plate with 1 inch room-temperature water. Working one at a time, immerse each wrapper in water until just pliable, about 10 seconds; lay softened wrapper on towel. Scatter 6 Thai basil leaves and 6 cilantro leaves over wrapper. Arrange 5 cucumber sticks horizontally on wrapper (see illustration 1, below); top with 1 tablespoon carrot mixture, then arrange about 2 1/2 tablespoons noodles on top of carrot mixture. Place about 2 tablespoons of the chopped shrimp on top of noodles. Wrap spring roll according to illustrations 2 through 4, below; set on 1 lettuce piece on platter. Cover with second damp kitchen towel; repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with dipping sauce, wrapping lettuce around exterior of each roll.
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