Roll into spring with spring rolls

For my column this month, I would like to feature a recipe from one of my favorite chefs, Joyce Jue. Joyce did a wonderful cooking class at my shop in March 2004. She has amazing recipes for all kinds of Asian foods.

Her recipes can sometimes seem a little complex, but if you follow them closely, you can re-create some of the best food!

I am going to feature her recipe for Fried Spring Rolls, a Vietnamese recipe.

This is how Joyce prefaces her recipe, "The Vietnamese traditionally wrap these fried rolls in soft lettuce leaves, tucking shredded carrot, cucumbers, mint and cilantro between the leaf and roll. The 'roll-in-a-lettuce-roll' is then dipped into a sauce and eaten out of hand."

Make and eat these as Joyce instructs, and you are in for a treat! Thanks, Joyce!

Fish Sauce and Lime Dipping Sauce

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 fresh, small chili pepper, seeded and finely minced

1Ú4 cup sugar

1Ú4 cup fresh lime juice, including pulp

5 T. Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce

1Ú2 cup water

In a mortar, combine garlic, chili and sugar and mash with a pestle to form a paste. Add the lime juice and the pulp, fish sauce and water and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Strain the sauce into a bowl or jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to five days. Makes about 11Ú4 cups.

Table Salad Platter

1 head butter (Boston) lettuce, leaves separated, carefully washed and dried.

1 bunch fresh mint, stemmed

1 bunch fresh cilantro (fresh coriander), stemmed

1 large carrot, peeled and finely julienned

1 English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled and finely julienned

Toss the ingredients together.

Prepare the dipping sauce and the table salad platter and set aside while making the spring rolls.

Spring Rolls

1 bundle (2 ounces/60 grams) dried bean thread noodles

2 T. dried small tree ear mushrooms

1 cup (4 ounces/125 grams) finely julienned, peeled carrots

1 teaspoon salt

1 yellow onion, finely minced

4 shallots, finely minced

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup (2 ounces/60 grams) bean sprouts

1 T. Vietnamese fish sauce

1Ú2 teaspoon finely ground pepper

1 pound (500 grams) ground (minced) dark chicken meat or pork

36 dried rice paper rounds, each 61Ú2 inches (16.5 cm) in diameter

1 T. sugar

Peanut or corn oil for frying

To make spring rolls, place the noodles and the tree ear mushrooms in separate bowls. Add warm water to cover to each bowl and let stand until soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the julienned carrots in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes to drain. Squeeze gently to remove excess liquid. Drain the bean thread noodles and cut into 2-inch segments. Drain and rinse the mushrooms; chop coarsely.

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, noodles, mushrooms, onions, shallots, garlic, bean sprouts, fish sauce, pepper and chicken or pork. Using your hands, mix together well.

To form the rolls, first soften the rice papers. Dampen several clean kitchen towels with water. Fill a pie plate with cold water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve it. Spread a damp towel on a flat work surface. Dip 1 rice paper round at a time into the water and spread it flat on the towel.

Continue dipping and laying the rice papers in a single layer. When you run out of the room, lay a damp towel on top of the rounds and continue, always alternating a layer of rice papers with a damp towel.

Let the rice papers stand until pliable, about one minute or longer. For each roll, shape 2 tablespoons filling into a compact cylinder about 1 inch in diameter and 3 inches long and place along the lower edge of a wrapper.

Fold the curved bottom edge up and over the filling in one tight turn. Fold the outside edges in, then roll up into a snug cylinder. Set on a baking sheet, seam-side down, and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.

To fry the rolls, pour oil to a depth of 11Ú2 inches in a large frying pan. Place over medium-high heat and heat to 350 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Using long chopsticks or tongs, lower a few rolls into the pan, leaving plenty of space between them. Fry, turning often, until golden brown and crisp, about five minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place on a platter and keep warm while frying the remaining rolls.

Serve the rolls hot or at room temperature with the salad platter and dipping sauce.

Makes 36 spring rolls.

n Molly Gingell owns Molly's Gourmet Catering, takeout and cooking school at 220 W. John St. in Carson City.