Laun/Pruett Recipe Collection
Vietnamese Rice Paper Wraps

Vietnamese Rice Paper Wraps
medium shrimp, cooked,
rice vermicelli or rice sticks, boiled for 5 minutes, rinsed and drained

(I add Coco's Asian salad dressing to flavor the noodles)
You can use any vegetables you like. I used
cucumber sliced, seeds removed
red bell pepper
celery
mushrooms
green peas (Chinese style)

Set up a salad roll "station." Line a cutting board with a damp kitchen towel. Fill a large bowl with hot water (not too hot though!) and place it nearby. (Keep some boiling water handy to add to the bowl.) Arrange the ingredients in the order they will be used...: the shrimp, rice vermicelli, and vegetables.

Working with 2 rice paper rounds at a time, dip 1, into the hot water and turn it to wet completely, about 10 seconds. You have to experiment but I find when the stiffness goes way, it is ready.
Lay the round down on the towel.

Repeat with the second rice paper and place it alongside the first. This allows you to work with 1 while the second is being set.

Line the bottom third of the rice paper round with shrimp, Add 1 tablespoon rice vermicelli, and layer the vegetables. Do not overstuff them or the rice paper will break. While pressing down on the ingredients, lift the bottom edge over the filling, then fold in 2 sides. Roll into a cylinder about 1 1/2 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long. If the paper feels thick, stop three-quarters of the way and trim the end piece. (Too much rice paper can make the rolls chewy.) Repeat with the remaining rice papers and filling.

To serve, cut rolls into 2 or 4 pieces and place them upright on a plate. Serve with the sauce on the side.

I use Asian Peanut dressing

Adapted from Mai Pham's book

Recipe Contributed by Mary Ann Laun