Thai Shrimp Spring Rolls

Filed under Asian

Prep: 52 min | Cook: 11 min | Servings: 12

Makes 12 rolls. Serve with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce (its own recipe). Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2011.

Inactive prep: 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz Rice stick noodles, thin
  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce, divided
  • 1 lb Shrimp, large, unpeeled
  • 3 tbsp Lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp Sambal oelek, sambal chili paste
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 Cucumber, large, unpeeled, seeded, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 Carrot, large, peeled and grated
  • 3/4 cup Cilantro, fresh, chopped
  • 3/4 cup Mint, fresh, chopped
  • 12 Rice paper, 8 1/2-inch round wrappers
  • 12 leaf Lettuce, Bibb, Boston, or other soft lettuce

Directions

  1. Soak the rice sticks in enough hot water to cover by 1 inch for 15 minutes.
  2. Bring 1/2 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot set over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Add the shrimp and cook until just firm, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the cooked shrimp to a cutting board and cool for 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel, devein, and coarsely chop. Set aside.
  3. Return the water-soy sauce to a boil. Drain the rice stick noodles and add to the hot soy-water. Cook until tender, approximately 3 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, whisk the lime juice, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, chili paste, and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl.
  5. Drain the noodles in a colander. Add the noodles to the lime juice mixture, toss, and set aside while preparing the vegetables.
  6. Toss the cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and mint together in a small bowl. Transfer any unabsorbed liquid from the noodles to the cucumber mixture and toss to combine.
  7. Cut the noodles into small 1 to 2-inch pieces with kitchen shears.
  8. Fill a pie dish with warm water. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into the water for 10 seconds, then transfer to a cutting board until the wrapper is pliable and slightly tacky, approximately 1 minute.
  9. Place 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture on the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper nearest to you. Spoon 2 tablespoons chopped shrimp on top of the vegetables. Top with 1/4 cup noodles. Bring the bottom edge of the wrap tightly over the filling, and then fold in the 2 sides. Finish rolling from bottom to top until the entire wrapper is rolled. Be careful not to tear the rice paper. Place on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until the filling is gone.
  10. Wrap each roll in a lettuce leaf and serve with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce.