Vietnamese Soft Rolls With Crab Recipes

VIETNAMESE SOFT ROLLS WITH CRAB

Steps:

• Mix together ingredients for the nuoc cham sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
• Mix together all ingredients for Hoisin dipping sauce EXCEPT chopped peanuts in a small saucepan.
• Bring mixture to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.
• Cool Hoisin dipping sauce to room temperature, garnish with chopped peanuts, and set aside.
• Het oil in a large skillet, add asparagus and cook for one minute.
• Add water and cook, covered, for three minutes more; remove from heat.
• Note: crab is meant to be chilled and asparagus is meant to be cooled down to room temperature when building rolls.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water (deep enough to submerge a rice paper).
• Dip one rice paper at a time while building soft rolls, just till it becomes pliable; remove from water and blot on paper toweling.
• To build roll, on softened rice paper, place a lettuce leaf with margins on all sides (except top is ok).
• Top lettuce with one ounce of crab, one piece of asparagus, a couple of pinches of alfalfa sprouts and shredded carrots, a fresh basil leaf, and a couple of cilantro sprigs.
• Fold bottom edge of rice paper up over filling, then wrap right side over filling and roll up tightly into a bundle.
• Place on serving platter covered with a damp paper towel while preparing remaining rolls.
• Serve at once with dipping sauces and hot chile paste (sambal oelek), if desired.

VIETNAMESE SHRIMP AND CRAB CRISPY SPRING ROLLS (CHA GIO)

Steps:

• Blanch cabbage and place into ice bath. Drain and squeeze out excess water. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, carrots, green onions and cabbage.
• Chop shrimp into small pieces. To the large bowl, add shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and black pepper and mix. Add crab meat and egg white to mixture and combine evenly.
• Brush egg yolk on three corners of wrapper. Add 2 tablespoons of filling in center of wrapper, diagonally. Fold the two sides on the diagonal over the filling. Fold the non-egg yolk corner over and tuck snugly under filling and roll up.
• Deep fry the spring rolls in peanut oil at 350°F for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Work in batches. Flip half way through. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Eat with nuoc cham.