Shrimp Summer Rolls

By Lulubelle

A refreshing salad rolled up in rice paper is one of Vietnam's culinary treasures.

Martha Stewart Living, July 2013

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium shrimp (about 30), in shells
• 8 ounces rice vermicelli (rice-stick noodles)
• 1 small head Napa cabbage, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
• 5 medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick, 3-inch-long matchsticks
• 1 English cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch-thick, 5-inch-long wedges
• 6 scallions, dark-green tops only (reserve white and pale-green parts for ) Mango Salad
• 1 bunch Thai or Italian basil
• 1 package spring-roll skins (banh trang) ,
• for serving Peanut Dipping Sauce
• Sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste) or spicy chili sauce, for serving
• COOK'S NOTE
• Summer-Roll How-To
• Summer rolls pique all five senses: sight, scent, taste, sound (crunch), and touch: Put out a platter of shrimp, vegetables, and herbs, and let guests make their own.
• 1 . Start Stacking
• Place 3 pieces of shrimp, cut side up, on prepped spring-roll skin. Place fresh herbs, vegetables, and vermicelli on top of shrimp.
• 2 . Get Rolling
• Using both hands, lift side of skin closest to you and fold it tightly over filling, leaving a crescent moon of skin on far side (think burrito).
• 3 . Tuck Tightly
• Fold in both ends of summer roll. Once there’s skin-to-skin contact, a tight seal will form.
• 4 . Wrap It Up
• Grab body firmly and tightly roll it away from you to seal summer roll. Dip, eat, enjoy. Repeat.

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 60mins
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

STEP 1
Bring 1 inch water to a boil in a large, deep straight-sided skillet. Submerge shrimp; immediately remove from heat and cover. Let stand 3 minutes; drain. Let cool and peel. Cut in half lengthwise and devein. Shrimp can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day.

STEP 2
Place vermicelli in a baking dish and cover with 1 inch hot tap water. Let stand until water is tepid, about 30 minutes; drain. Vermicelli can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day.

STEP 3
Submerge cabbage and carrots in 2 separate bowls of ice water 30 minutes; drain. Place alongside cucumber, scallions, basil, shrimp, and noodles on a platter.

STEP 4
Pour at least 1 inch warm water into a bowl slightly larger than spring-roll skins. Submerge 1 skin in warm water until pliable but still firm, about 10 seconds. (Replace warm water as necessary.) Transfer to a plate. Serve with dipping sauce and sambal oelek.