Cambodian Summer Rolls

Novato, California, reader Cathy Jo Belford sent us this Asian-inspired appetizer for the April 2002 column. The fresh herbs, sweet shrimp, slight spicy heat, and crisp lettuce offer well-balanced taste and texture.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 roll and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• Rolls:
• 6  cups  water
• 36  unpeeled medium shrimp (about 1 pound)
• 4  ounces  uncooked rice noodles
• 12  (8-inch) round sheets rice paper
• 1/4  cup  hoisin sauce
• 3  cups  shredded red leaf lettuce
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced fresh mint
• 
  Dipping sauce:
• 1/3  cup  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  teaspoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1  teaspoon  chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
• 1  garlic clove, minced

Preparation

To prepare rolls, bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Peel shrimp; chill.

Place noodles in a large bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand for 8 minutes; drain.

Add cold water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper sheet in water. Let stand 2 minutes or until soft. Place rice paper sheet on a flat surface.

Spread 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce in the center of sheet; top with 3 shrimp, 1/4 cup lettuce, about 2 1/2 tablespoons noodles, 1 teaspoon basil, and 1 teaspoon mint. Fold sides of sheet over filling, roll up jelly-roll fashion, and gently press seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a serving platter; cover to keep from drying. Repeat procedure with remaining rice paper, hoisin sauce, shrimp, shredded lettuce, noodles, basil, and mint.

To prepare dipping sauce, combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

131 (6% from fat)

Fat:

0.9g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

6.7g

Carbohydrate:

24.1g

Fiber:

0.8g

Cholesterol:

36mg

Iron:

1mg

Sodium:

379mg

Calcium:

37mg