This crazy late night idea probably came from some strange, impromptu desire to impress someone - and really it turned mostly into a satisfying personal experience in which I was able to improve my rolling skills. One needs to have decent dexterity to roll things in general, be it those backwards -flaming-rolling-paper-type cigarettes that the Swiss are so good at rolling, hangover-destroying Watsonville pulled pork and steak burritos that the guys at Uncle Moe's are so damn efficient at making or just your run of the mill, Wednesday night nonsensical, labor intensive, but weirdly relaxing rice paper spring roll project.
It's important to feel inspired when shopping for this, and just about any ingredient can be put in this. Hell, stray away from the Vietnamese flavors and go for New Orleans flavors like andouille sausage, or Jamaican flavors, or go strictly seafood even. Its the same principle that governs this site: use your mind power to imagine flavor pairings, and then go boldly without worrying about screwing up.
Step 1: Assemble a shitload of different ingredients you can slice with a mandolin. Here we have cucumber, carrot, jicama, black radish, green onion, jalapeno pepper, green lettuce, cilantro, sprouts, and Asian pear. As a sauce we have a 70/30 ratio mix of Hoisin and red chili-garlic sauce. We also have some free-range pork tenderloin marinating in the same sauce nearby that just came out of the oven.
Step 2: No doubt you have assembled Vietnamese rice paper, probably from your local upscale supermarket or local deli (the 24 hour on 7th ave. and 8th street has 'em. Key Foods doesn't carry them, neither does the Food Coop or most of the delis on 7th. I didn't venture further South, because of course the deli closest to my place had them in the end. How convenient.
Grab a piece of rice paper and submerge in water. Use a shallow roasting pan or something else like that and spread your hand on top of it for about 30 seconds. You want it between slightly rigid and mushy. Now lift, and place on cutting board without ripping.
Step 3: Arrange a horizontal pile at the bottom middle of the paper made up of whatever you want. Make sure it is neat and together.
Step 4: Curl up the bottom edge and tuck in around the filling, just like the Saturday morning burrito guy. Make sure you wrap tight and neatly - you'll get better at this gradually.
Step 5: Now grab the rigthmost tip and fold it over to the bundle 180 degrees. Make sure that the unfolded edge that lays before the spring roll stays straight, because you are going to roll straight ahead.
Step 6: Roll straightforward in one quick motion.
Step 7: Repeat until no more ingredients left.
Step 8: Make a funky dipping sauce with peanut butter soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar or something. Or how about just some lemon juice, eh?
NOTE: Pictures of eating these did not happen. But they were damn good.
