Recipe: Tchoup Chop Shrimp Summer Rolls with Asian Dipping Sauce for Richie

Tchoup Chop Shrimp Summer Rolls
Source:Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
Jan. 29 - Just when you thought Emeril Lagasse had taken every kind of food there was and "kicked it up a notch," he is working his magic on an all-new food group: Asian and Polynesian food. It will be the featured cuisine at his new restaurant, called Tchoup-Chop, which is located at Lowe's Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Fla. If you're not going to sunny Florida anytime soon, try his recipe for Tchoup Chop Shrimp Summer Rolls:

Two 1-ounce skeins mung bean or cellophane noodles
One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, halved
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
4 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon chopped green onions, green and white parts
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
16 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
Eight 8 1/2-inch round rice paper wrappers
8 small romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed, patted dry, ribs removed, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 ounce alfalfa or radish sprouts
32 fresh mint leaves
32 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
Asian Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
Hot Mustard Sauce (optional)

Put 2 cups hot water in a large bowl and add the noodles. Soak them until softened but slightly resilient, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain them and pat dry on paper towels. Put in a bowl and cover. Combine 4 cups water, the ginger, lemon, soy sauce, sugar, bay leaves, green onions, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Season the shrimp with the Creole Seasoning, then add to the boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the shrimp to sit in the hot liquid for 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the water and let cool. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid for the dipping sauce. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, cut lengthwise in half. Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl. Submerge 1 rice paper wrapper in the water and soak it until softened, about 1 minute. Carefully remove the rice paper from the water and lay it flat on the towel. In the center of the sheet, layer one-eighth of the soaked noodles, 4 lettuce pieces, about 20 sprouts, 4 shrimp halves arranged side by side in a row, 4 mint leaves, 4 cilantro sprigs, and one-eighth of the carrots. Pull the bottom up over the filling, fold over the sides, and roll up like an egg roll. Place seam side down on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining rice papers and filling. Place seam side down on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining rice papers and filling. Serve immediately, with the dipping sauce. Yield: 8 summer rolls

Asian Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup grated carrots
2 Tablespoons Asian (dark)sesame oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup cooking liquid from Shrimp Summer Rolls

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until well blended. Set aside until needed; stir well before serving. (The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days.)

Yield: one cup.