Rice Paper Rolls
History of Rice Paper Rolls:
Nem cuốn, Bánh tráng cuốn, or Gỏi cuốn, (Literally, nem rolls, rice paper rolls and salad rolls in the northern, central, and southern Vietnamese dialect, respectively), Vietnamese Spring Roll, summer roll, or salad roll, is a Vietnamese dish traditionally consisting of pork, prawn, vegetables, bún (rice vermicelli), and other ingredients wrapped in Vietnamese bánh tráng (commonly known as rice paper). They are served at room temperature (or cooled) and are not deep fried or cooked on the outside. It is listed at number 30 on World's 50 most delicious foods complied by CNN Goin 2011.[9] Fresh gỏi cuốn have gained popularity among Vietnam’s neighboring countries and in the western hemisphere as well. These rolls are considered to be a very popular appetizer among customers in Vietnamese restaurants.
How do I make rice paper rolls?Tips & Techniques:1. The ingredients in the rice paper rolls should be very finely sliced. Julienne strips are thin, fine strips.
2. The rice paper wrappers or sheets need to be dipped into hot water so that they are easy to use. However, be careful not to leave them in the water for too long as they will become too soft and rip as you try to use them. 3. Palm sugar is a very tasty ingredient. You must be sure to dissolve the sugar thoroughly when combining it with other ingredients. |
Food Preparation Skills Required:
Tools & Equipment:
How do you rehydrate noodles?Noodle mush, no more! Here’s how we make perfect rice noodles for dishes like pad thai, pho, and spring rolls, plus a few extra tips.
Rice noodles are much more delicate and fragile than their wheat noodlecounterparts. This actually makes them so easy to prepare that we hardly think of it as cooking. Place all your rice noodles in a deep mixing bowl, trying to snap as few of them as possible as you remove them from the package (always a challenge for us). Bring a good amount of water to boil. Pour the boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged. Every minute or two, give the noodles a stir to loosen them up. When they are completely limp, give them a taste to see if they’re cooked through. The thread-like vermicelli noodles used in spring rolls will cook through in just a few minutes. The flat rice noodles might take upwards of ten minutes depending on thickness. Pay attention and test the noodles frequently because they’ll become mushy if they overcook. Once the noodles are tender, drain them and run them under cool water to stop the cooking. Toss them with a bit of sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other if you’re not going to use them right away. |