Spring Roll, Master Recipe
- 2 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup basil leaves (preferably Thai)
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 3/4 cup chopped, sliced, or shredded vegetables, greens, or fruit (like asparagus, beans sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, or kimchi)
- 3/4 cup chopped or sliced protein (like raw salmon or tuna, tofu, or cooked meat or poultry)
- 4 to 8 (8-inch) rice paper rounds, nori sheets, or large, pliable lettuce leaves (like red leaf, or Boston)
- 1/2 cup dipping sauce of your choice (like ginger-scallion sauce, miso thinned with water, Sriracha mayonnaise, or plain soy sauce)
- Soak the rice noodles in boiling water until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Rinse under cold water and drain.
- Prepare all of your fillings and put them in bowls (or neat piles) so that they're all in place once you're ready to start rolling.
- Prepare the wrappers, and roll: If you're using rice paper, soak a round in a dish or skillet of hot water until pliable, about 10 seconds.
- Put the round on a paper or dish towel so it doesn't stick, then fill and roll as tightly as you can, folding in the sides like a burrito.
- If you're using nori, spritz the sheets all over with a little water to soften them slightly.
- Spread the rice noodles all over the nori except for the far edge.
- Pile the fillings closest to you and roll, wetting the far edge with a little more water so you can seal the roll.
- Keep them as long rolls, or cut them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- If you're using lettuce, just spread the leaves out flat, the fill and roll as tightly as you can, folding in the sides like a burrito.
- Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.
rice vermicelli noodles, mint leaves, basil, cilantro, vegetables, salmon, rice paper, dipping sauce
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014727 (may not work)