Vietnamese Summer Rolls
- 3 large pots, filled 3/4 of the way with water
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Ice bath, for chilling the blanched ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp
- 8 pounds bean thread noodles (glass noodles)
- Sesame oil, to taste
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and julienned
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 bunch fresh mint, leaves washed, picked and sliced thinly
- 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves washed, picked and sliced thinly
- 1 package large round rice paper wrappers
- Soy Sauce, for dipping
- Bring water to a boil in each of the 3 large pots.
- Salt the water as it reaches a boil.
- In another pot of boiling, salted water, add the chicken.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Chill fully in an ice bath and drain.
- Slice into thin strips and place in a bowl.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Leaving the shrimp in their shells, drop them into 1 pot of boiling, salted water and cook for about 4 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon to an ice bath until fully chilled.
- Peel each shrimp, discarding the shells, and slice in half down the length of the shrimp so that you have 2 flat, identical crescent-shaped pieces.
- Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Drop the bean thread noodles into the third pot of boiling salted water and cook until done, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain and cool under cold, running water.
- When cooled, sprinkle with a little sesame oil, to taste.
- Toss the noodles until they are all lightly coated with the sesame oil.
- Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- When ready to assemble the rolls, line up all of the components?the chicken, shrimp, noodles, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, mint, and basil, in their own containers?on the work surface or table.
- Fill a large, flat bowl with warm water, making sure it is large enough to fit the rice paper wrappers.
- Lay a clean towel on the workspace in front of you.
- Carefully dip the round wrapper into the water, just to get it wet all over, trying not to crack it.
- It will still be slightly hard.
- Remove it from the water and lay it onto the clean towel, where it will continue to soften.
- Layer a small amount of each of the ingredients on the bottom 1/3 of the wrap.
- Start with a few strips of chicken, then 2 to 3 pieces of shrimp, then some noodles, then some lettuce, then some slices of cucumber, followed by some shreds of carrot, and then a pinch each of mint and basil.
- Fold up the bottom 1/3, fold in the sides and roll up the rest of the length to make an egg roll shape.
- Set aside and continue with the rest of the ingredients until all of the rice wrappers are used.
- Serve with soy sauce for dipping.
pots, chicken breasts, ingredients, shrimp, noodles, sesame oil, cucumbers, carrots, fresh mint, fresh basil, rice, soy sauce
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/vietnamese-summer-rolls-recipe.html (may not work)