SHRIMP SUMMER ROLLS WITH SPEARMINT AND BASIL

These cold rice-paper rolls often appear as starters on menus at Vietnamese restaurants, along with vegan versions made with tofu (fresh or, better, baked and pressed). These light rolls with shredded vegetables and herbs are fresh and summery, and the slight chewiness of the rice-paper wrapper and rice vermicelli (both available online and from Asian grocery stores) provides a pleasant textural contrast to the vegetables and shrimp. A highly flavored dipping sauce (the Vietnamese call it nuoc cham) is a perfect complement.

SHRIMP SUMMER ROLLS WITH SPEARMINT AND BASIL

Ingredients

DIPPING SAUCE

1 garlic clove, pressed and allowed to sit for 10 minutes

4 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1 red chili, minced

ROLLS

8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 ounces rice vermicelli

Instructions

½ cup spearmint leaves

½ cup basil leaves

8 cilantro sprigs

1 small carrot, peeled and finely julienned

1 small English cucumber, finely julienned

2 scallions, white and light green parts only, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 head Boston or green leaf lettuce, finely shredded

8 (8 ½-inch) rice-paper wrappers

1. Whisk the dipping sauce ingredients together, taste, and adjust the seasoning until the dressing is a nice balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, and set aside.

2. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the shrimp. Gently cook for 1 to 1 ½ minutes or just until they are opaque and pink. Plunge the shrimp into a bowl of ice water to quickly cool. Drain the shrimp and slice them in half lengthwise.

3. Cook the rice noodles following the directions on the package. (You can use the shrimp water for this.) Rinse under cold running water, drain, and set them aside. Place the spearmint, basil, cilantro, carrot, cucumber, scallions, and lettuce in separate piles on a large platter; position the platter close to where you’ll be rolling the summer rolls.

4. Fill a large bowl with hot tap water and completely submerge a sheet of rice paper for 20 seconds, until pliable. Transfer the sheet to a damp paper towel and add the fillings to the center of the wrapper. Start with three pieces of shrimp, laying them down cut side up. Then add a small handful of rice noodles, a few spearmint and basil leaves, a sprig of cilantro, some cucumber, carrot, scallions, and lettuce.

5. Fold the bottom half of the wrapper up, covering the fillings, then fold in the sides. Press down firmly and roll up like a burrito. Transfer to a damp paper-towel-lined baking dish and cover with another damp paper towel. Repeat with the remaining rolls, then cover with plastic wrap. Serve chilled with the dipping sauce on the side.