Recipe: Vietnamese Salad Roll Recipes & Dipping Sauces - 3 (Not Pei Wei)

I couldn't find Pei Wei's recipe on the Internet but these recipes seemed like a good starting place to experiment. Good luck and please share your results with us.

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VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD ROLLS
with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette (NOT Pei Wei)
Source: NBC 4i, Columbus, Ohio

3/4 pound chicken, poached and shredded
1/2 cup green scallion rings
1/8 cup mint, cut thick, julienne
1 cup cabbage sliced, julienne
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
2 cups carrot thin, julienne
1 1/2 cups thin cooked rice sticks
3/4 cup ginger vinaigrette, prepared
2 per roll - butter lettuce leaves, fresh, rinsed and separated
6 12-inch Round Rice Paper Wrappers - available in Asian markets.

SESAME GINGER VINAIGRETTE:
1 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chinese Hot Mustard
1/4 cup pickled ginger juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced pickled ginger

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD ROLLS:
1. Combine chicken, rice sticks, scallion, mint, peanuts and carrot in a large bowl.

2. Whisk vinaigrette dressing to emulsify, add to mixture and toss thoroughly.

3. Just before rolling, add slaw and toss to blend.

4. Dip Rice Paper in warm water.

5. Place Rice Paper flat on a warm, white towel. Cover Rice Paper with a second warm, white towel allowing two Rice Paper Wrappers to soften at a time.

6. Place one lettuce leaf, rib-side and cut-end down in bottom third of Rice Paper.

7. Add 1 cup of mixture to the bottom of the wrapper.

8. Top with second lettuce leaf, rib-side and cut-end up.

9. Roll wrapper and fold outside edges shut like a Spring Roll. Grab bottom corner of wrapper and in a forward motion roll tightly about 1/3 way.

10. Fold-in outside edges and continue to roll forward into a tight roll.

SESAME GINGER VINAIGRETTE:
Thoroughly mix ingredients and blend until emulsified

Makes 6 rolls, each about 5 1/2-inches long.

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SPICY STEVE'S RECIPE: VIETNAMESE SALAD ROLLS
Source: Asian pacific Post/Spicy Steve

"Salad rolls are great for a healthy and light summer meal and also make great appetizers and snacks year round. Fresh Asian mint accents this particular dish, although you could use other herbs such as cilantro. The salad rolls in Vancouver are usually served with a peanut dipping sauce; although in Vietnam you see them more often with a bean dip."

1/2 package dry rice paper rounds ? 8 1/2 inches diameter (Three Elephants Brand is best)
16 big sized tiger prawns
1/3 lb pork shoulder
5 ounces rice vermicelli noodles, boiled for 5 minutes, rinsed and drained
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup Asian mint
1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed Vietnamese Bean or Peanut sauce to serve with.

Boil the pork in salted water until it is cooked but still firm for thin slicing. This should take approximately 30 minutes.

While pork is cooking, cook prawns in a separate pot for three minutes or until pink and cooked. Rinse, drain, cool, peel and devein. Cut prawns in half lengthwise. Place on side dish.

Remove pork from pot, drain and cool. Cut into thin slices roughly 1 by 2 inches. Place on a side dish.

Place a wet kitchen towel on your work surface (kitchen counter) and fill a large bowl with hot water and open your package of dry rice paper rounds. Keep a kettle with extra boiling water handy if your bowl cools down too quickly. Arrange the ingredients to be used around your work area: rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, mint, lettuce, pork and prawns.

Work with two rounds at a time and dip the first one in the hot water to completely soak it for about 10 seconds. Place it on the wet kitchen towel. Repeat procedure with the second round.

Line the bottom third of the rice round with three prawn halves, cut side up. Add two pieces of pork to this and 1 Tbsp each of rice vermicelli and bean sprouts. Finish off with 4 or 5 mint leaves. You want to arrange the filling so that the rolls end up being about 4 inches long. Half a lettuce leaf by cutting down the centre and place one half rolled up on top of the filling. While pressing down on the filling, lift the bottom edge over the filling, then fold in the two sides. Roll into a cylinder about 1 1/2 inches wide and 4 inches long. If the paper feels too thick,trim the end piece. Place seam side down on a serving platter. Serve whole or cut in rounds along with your dipping sauce of choice.

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RICE PAPER-WRAPPED SALAD ROLLS
Source: The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking by Mai Pham
Servings: 6 to 8

"No single dish better represents the delicateness of Vietnamese cuisine than this one. Traditionally filled with juicy shrimp and pork, they also can be stuffed with grilled chicken, salmon, or just about anything, such as leftover turkey from Thanksgiving."

1/3 pound pork shoulder
12 medium-size raw shrimp with shells
8 (12-inch) round rice papers (keep extra on hand just in case you tear some)
1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed
1/4 pound rice vermicelli, cooked in boiling water 4 to 5 minutes, rinsed, and drained
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

ACCOMPANIMENTS:
1 cup hoisin-peanut sauce (see below) or Vietnamese dipping sauce (see below)
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
2 tablespoons ground chili paste for garnish

Cook the pork in boiling salted water until just tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool and then slice into 1 x 2-1/2-inch pieces. Cook the shrimp in boiling salted water until just done, about 3 minutes. Shell, devein, and cut in half lengthwise. Refresh in cold water and set aside.

Just before making the rolls, set up a salad roll "station". Fill a large mixing bowl with hot water. If necesary, keep some boiling water on hand to add to the bowl if the temperature drops below 110 degrees. Choose an open area on the counter and arrange the following items in the order used: the rice paper, the hot water, a damp cheesecloth, and a platter holding all the stuffing ingredients.

Working with only 2 rice paper sheets at a time, dip 1 sheet, edge first, in the hot water and turn it to wet completely, about 10 seconds. Lay the sheet down on the cheesecloth and stretch the sheet slightly to remove any wrinkles. Wet the other rice paper the same way and place it alongside the first.

Line the bottom third of the wet, pliable rice sheet with 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, and top with two slices of pork. Make sure the ingredients are neatly placed in a straight row. Fold a piece of lettuce into a thin rectangle about 5 inches long and place it on top. (You may need to use only half of a leaf.) Next, top with about 1 tablespoon of vermicelli, 1 tablespoon bean sprouts, and 4 to 5 mint leaves. Make sure the ingredients are not clumped together in the center, but evenly distributed from one end to the other. Using your second, third, and fourth fingers, press down on the ingredients while you use the other hand to fold over both sides of the rice paper. (Pressing down on the ingredients is particularly important because it tightens the roll.) With fingers still pressing down, use two thumbs to fold the bottom edge over the filling and roll into a cylinder about 1-1/2 inches wide by 5 inches long. Finish making all the remaining rolls.

To serve, cut the rolls into two to four equal pieces and place the cut rolls upright on an appetizer plate. Serve with hoisin-peanut sauce or Vietnamese dipping sauce on the side. Top sauce of choice with chopped peanuts and chili paste. If you like, garnish the rolls with mint or cilantro sprigs.

HOISIN-PEANUT SAUCE
Makes 2 Cups

"Probably one of the most versatile sauces in the Lemon Grass repertoire, this sauce is served with our signature Rice Paper-wrapped Salad Rolls. When mixed with garlic, chilies, and ginger, it's spectacular on grilled fish, chicken, or beef. It's also wonderful as a marinade!"

1 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup pureed or finely minced yellow onion
1 tablespoon ground chili paste, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts for garnish

Put first four ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Add a little water if too thick. Set aside to cool. Transfer mixture to a sauce dish and garnish with chili paste and chopped peanuts.

VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
Makes 1 1/2 Cups

"If you know only one thing about Vietnamese cuisine, know that nuoc cham is the single most important table sauce. Slightly sweet and sour, this fish dipping sauce is served with almost every dish.

According to my sister Denise, a self-proclaimed fish dipping sauce master, the difference between mediocrity and greatness is in the lime pulp. Every time she made nuoc cham, Denise not only would squeeze every drop of juice from the limes, but she also would scrape out every bit of pulp. Even though everyone has his or her secret method, the truth is, the proportion of ingredients is what distinguishes one recipe from another. In the northern part of Vietnam, or so Southern gossip has it, the dipping sauce is rather bland -- just a little water has been added to the fish sauce. As you come down to the Central region, a few chilies have been added. Then, as you approach the gastronomic South, the least you can expect is a lively concoction of fresh chilies, smashed garlic, sugar, lime juice, and lime pulp -- all garnished with fine slivers of carrots and thinly sliced chili peppers. This is Denise's recipe (yes, it's the Sourthern version). It will keep for 1 month if refrigerated."

2 small cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon ground chili paste
1 fresh Thai bird chili, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons shredded carrots for garnish

Place garlic, chili paste, and chili in a mortar. With a pestle, pound into a paste. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, finely mince the garlic and chili.

Combine the garlic mixture with the remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Ladle sauce into serving bowls and float the carrot slivers on top.