Shrimp and banana – not your typical pairing.  But in this case, the flavor profiles of the shrimp and banana work really well together!  Although, I have to admit — put anything into a fryer and it will taste yummy!

Chef’s tip:  When deep frying, fry small batches at a time to keep the temperature at a constant high of 375.  The more spring rolls you crowd into the fryer, the quicker the temperature will drop (the law of thermodynamics!), thus, the soggier your spring rolls will be.  And always, always use a fry thermometer.

Filling:
1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 ripe bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise from top to bottom, then cut into a 1/2-inch dice
½ cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed thoruoghly and minced
½ cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped
½ cup scallions, green and white, chopped finely
½ cup cilantro, chopped finely
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or pale dry sherry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A pinch of white pepper

24 square spring roll wrappers – 6 x 6 inch
1 large egg beaten with 2 Tablespoons water (egg wash)
6 cups canola oil for frying

Sauce:
½ cup sake
2 Tablespoons mirin
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Thai chilies, seeds optional, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro stems

Preparing the filling:
1.    Cut half the shrimp into 1/2 in cubes, and mince the rest. Mix shrimp with sugar, cornstarch and sesame oil.
2.    In a medium bowl, toss together the remaining filling ingredients. Divide into 24 portions.
Assembly:
3.    Cut off 2 inches off the corner of the stack of spring roll wrappers –  the one end pointed towards you.  Cover wrappers with a damp tea towel.
4.    Take one wrapper and place the cut end closest to you.  Brush uncut ends with egg wash. Place 2-3 Tablespoons of the shrimp mixture closer to the cut end. Fold the left and right side over the filling.  Holding the sides in place, fold the bottom flap up and roll the roll up into a cylinder.  Place spring rolls, on its seam, on a baking sheet that is slightly floured with cornstarch.  Repeat folding the remaining rolls.
Frying the spring rolls:
5.    Heat canola oil till 375F.  Drop several spring rolls into the oil and fry till golden brown, about 5 minutes each.  Immediately drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Preparing the dipping sauce:
6.    Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.  Serve with hot spring rolls.

Serves: 24 portions

Tags: Cantonese, Chinese, dim sum, finger foods, springrolls, street foods.

Putting in more Vietnamese into Slanted Door’s Grapefruit and Jicama Salad, I have adapted the recipe and served the salad as a springroll. The tantalizing sweet, sour, salty and spiciness of the springroll will surely tintilate your tastebuds. The chewiness of the rice paper lets you savor the flavors slowly, as each flavor unfolds from the various herbs as you chew. And it’s a beautiful dish, too. It’s like serving a Garden of Eden, wrapped in rice paper.

Chef’s tip: If you have to prep this ahead, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and do not place into the fridge. The coldness will turn the rice paper hard.

Ingredients:

Candied nuts:
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups pecan halves
Nonstick vegetable oil spray and foil

Shallot oil:
1 shallot, sliced finely
1/3 cup of oil

Nuoc Cham Sauce:
1 tablespoon Sri Racha sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tablespoons sugar
5 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons fish sauce (sub with soy sauce for vegetarian option)
2 Tablespoons shallot oil (see above)

Filling:
2 oz rice vermicelli
1/4 head of red cabbage, thinly julienned, makes 2 cups
1/4 head of napa cabbage, thinly julienned, makes 2 cups
1 large carrot, thinly julienned
1/2 small jicama, thinly julienned, makes 2 cups
1 large ruby grapefruit, peeled, membranes and seeds removed
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chiffonade
1/2 cup scallions, chiffonade
1/2 cup Rau Ram – polygonum (Vietnamese Mint), chiffonade
1/2 cup of Thai basil leaves, chiffonade
5 small pieces of butter lettuce, ribbed and tear into 2×3 inch pieces
1/2 cup mint leaves, whole

20 round 8-inch Vietnamese rice paper

Directions

Prepare the candied nuts:
1. In heavy medium skillet over medium heat, bring sugar, olive oil and vinegar to boil until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes.
2. Mix in pecans and stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto greased foil. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely till harden. Break nuts into small pieces.
Prepare the sauce:
3. Make the shallot oil by frying sliced shallots in 1/3 cup of canola oil till golden brown.
4. In a small bowl, whisk Sri Racha, garlic, sugar, rice wine vinegar, water, fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of shallot oil together. Set aside.
Prepare the filling:
5. Bring salted water to boil. Drop rice vermicelli in, bring to boil again. Remove from heat, cover and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and fluff.
Prepare the slaw:
6. Using a food processor, mandoline or a sharp knife, shred both cabbages (2mm); julienne jicama and carrots finely into shoestring strips.
7. Place vegetables in separate bowls and toss with a tablespoon of Nuoc Cham each.
8. Peel grapefruit, remove skin, pith, membranes and seeds.
9. Chiffonade cilantro, scallion, Rau Ram and Thai basil and toss together to mix.
10. Remove ribs from butter lettuce and tear into 2 x 3 inch pieces each.
Assemble the springrolls:
11. Line a baking sheet with a damp tea towel and have another damp towel ready to cover the rolls. Line a cutting board with a third damp towel. Have all spring roll filling and vegetables mise en place.
12. Fill a large sauté pan with 2 inches of water. Add 1 spoon of sugar, bring water to a boil, then turn heat to very low. Working with one sheet of rice paper at a time, dip half the disc into the hot water, holding one corner with your fingers or a pair of chopsticks. Let it sit for about 5 seconds. Quickly dip the other half and remove and spread out flat on lined cutting board.
13. Lay a leaf of lettuce over the bottom third of the rice paper. Lay a thin layer of rice noodles on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of grapefruit sacs, 1 tablespoon herb mixture and 1 tablespoon of pecans. Lay a small amount of carrots, red and napa cabbage on top of the lettuce. Place 3 pieces of jicama sticks and press together to compact. Lay 2 pieces of mint down on the middle third of the rice paper.
14. Fold the left and right side over the filling. Holding the sides in place, fold the bottom flap up and roll the roll up into a tight cylinder. You want the mint to show through the wrapping. Lay the rolls flap side down on the moistened towel and cover with another moist towel until ready to serve (or cover tightly with Saran wrap). Patch any broken areas with small pieces of soaked, rice paper.
15. Serve: Cut the spring rolls into half crosswise and serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Makes: 40 pieces.

Tags: finger foods, springrolls, vegan, Vietnamese.

A vegan favorite at the dim sum table. When you bite into the spring roll, you will feel several layers of textures – texture being an important element of Chinese foods. First you have the crisp from the deep fried spring roll skin, followed by the velvety shiitake inter-mingled with the stringy mung bean thread and the silky enoki. Finally, you will experience the crunchy cloud ears fungus. The aromatic ginger and garlic complement the woody, robust shiitake. The dipping sauce is a common Cantonese dipping sauce made from Lea & Perrins!

Chef’s tip: An important cooking tip is to make sure you keep the temperature of the hot oil at a constant high of 360F to ensure your spring rolls come up crisp and dry, and not soaked in oil, or burned. Always use a fry thermometer, and not fry too many pieces at a time to ensure optimal heat control.

Filling
20 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced ¼ inch thick
¼ cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons peanut oil
1 large shallot, diced
1 Tablespoon ginger, peeled, grated
2 Tablespoons coriander stems
3 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1 Tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
½ cup green onions, sliced
1 packet enoki, trimmed of roots, leave whole.
1 oz dried cloud ears, reconstituted or 6 oz fresh, hard underside removed, thinly sliced
1 oz bean thread noodles, cut into 3 inch pieces, soaked in hot water, 20 minutes, drained
1 Tablespoon sesame oil

30 Chinese spring roll wrappers (eggless), 4X4 inch square, thawed from frozen
1 large egg white beaten with 2 Tablespoons water (egg wash)
6 cups canola oil for frying
Sauce:
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon ginger, finely shredded
1 small Fresno chile, seeded and finely chopped

Preparing the mushroom filling
1.    Wipe shiitake with a damp towel to clean.  Remove mushroom stems and slice into ¼ inch thick. In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoon of peanut oil. When hot, add all the mushrooms, and cook over high heat, stirring, for 1 minute.  Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are tender, about 8 minutes.  Splash on Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Uncover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes longer.
2.    In a small sauté pan over medium heat, add remaining peanut oil.  When hot, add chopped shallots and ginger.  Cook till shallot is soft, about 3 minutes, then add minced garlic and coriander stems and fry till fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.  Pour mixture into the mushroom mixture and toss in the sesame seeds, green onions, enoki, cloud ears and bean thread.  Finish with sesame oil.
Aseemblying the spring roll:
3.    Cut off one corner (about 1 inch) from the stack of spring rolls.  On a clean work surface, place 1 spring roll wrapper with the cut corner closest to you. Brush edges with egg wash.  Place 2 Tablespoons of the mushroom mixture on the lower 3rd of the spring roll, parallel to the cut end. Compact to form a log, Fold the left and right side over the filling.  Holding the sides in place, fold the bottom flap up and roll the roll up into a cylinder.  Place on an oiled baking tray rack on its seam
4.    Heat canola oil till 360°F.  Drop several spring rolls into the oil and fry till golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Immediately drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Preparing the dipping sauce
5.    Mix all the sauce ingredients (soy, Worcestershire, vinegar, water, ginger, chile) together in a bowl and set aside.  Serve with hot spring rolls.

Serves: 30 mini springrolls

Tags: Chinese, dim sum, finger foods, Mushrooms, springrolls, Thai, vegan, Vegetarian.