So, I practically lived on these when I was pregnant with my third baby. This is definitely a top contender for those "last meal" lists. I could die happy after feasting on these. Truly. It's a labor of love to produce these, but I swear, it's worth the time!
Most spring roll wrappers are rice paper, but you can find wheat wrappers if you look (Whole Foods carries them). They look just like rice paper, only tan-colored, and you use them the same way. I mention this because I've had much better results with the wheat version. Frying rice papers gets, well, sticky. Literally sticky. If you can't have wheat then rice is still an option, you just have to be extra careful when frying them.
Amendment, June 12, 2014: If you are looking to copy the fried spring rolls that you find in restaurants, then I have just been informed that you can purchase frozen spring roll wrappers at most Asian markets. They look like egg roll wrappers but they are NOT the same. They are much thinner and should be labeled for spring rolls. Apparently these are really easy to fry, as opposed to the kind I used here. Hope that helps!
Fried Spring Rolls with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
6 tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup warm water
6 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves
Combine sugar and water, stir until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients in a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool. This also mellows the garlic.
4 ounces dried bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles)
shitake or wood ear mushrooms (2 oz dried or 6 oz. fresh)
1 medium shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups shredded carrot
2 lbs. cooked ground pork and/or shrimp meat
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp. sugar
salt and pepper
wheat spring roll wrappers
iceberg lettuce
English cucumbers
salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Soften bean thread noodles according to package instructions. If using dried mushrooms you'll also need to soften those in water. Once softened, cut noodles into 2 inch lengths and finely chop mushrooms. Combine remaining ingredients (through salt and pepper) in a large bowl and stir until evenly mixed.
I recommend that you wrap as many spring rolls as you plan to make all at the same time before beginning to fry them. To soften a wrapper simply place them in a shallow pan or pie plate filled with hot tap water for a few seconds. Once soft pull it out of the water and place on counter-top. Place 2 tbsp. filling about 2 inches from the edge closest to you and fold that edge over the filling. Roll tightly about halfway, fold the sides in and finish the roll. It is very important to make sure the wrapper goes all the way around the filling TWICE. If it doesn't, try using less filling or making your rolls longer and skinnier. If it doesn't go around twice, the single layer will break when you are frying them and you will have filling explode in your hot oil. Frustrating, messy, and wasteful. Place filled rolls on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Once all your rolls are filled you can begin frying. These turn out much better if you fry them twice. The first time just until they are firm and the second time until they are browned. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a pot. It should be hot enough that the rolls sizzle when placed in the oil but not so hot that it smokes or burns the rolls. It's important that the rolls not touch each other, they will stick together if they do, so only do 2-4 at a time (depending on the size of you pot.) As they are frying be sure to pop any bubbles that form. Turn once to cook evenly. On the first fry remove rolls from oil once they are no longer soft or sticky but before they begin to brown. Drain and cool on a baking sheet lined with paper towels while you continue with the rest. On the second fry begin with the cooled rolls and fry until they develop an opaque browned crispness. Drain fried rolls on baking sheet lined with fresh paper towels.
Slice rolls in half at an angle and serve with dipping sauce (add peanuts, if desired), soy sauce, sliced cucumbers, and iceberg lettuce leaves. Wrapping the lettuce and cucumbers around the rolls makes it easier to handle them while hot. Enjoy!
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