inspired by the mere scent of petrichor one morning, as well as the weather finally warming up to the idea of spring in april, came my search for the perfect food to compliment the cool, crispness that seems to have recently embodied northcentral wisconsin!
the springroll.
like a salad, there really is no way you can go terribly wrong with putting one together... and therefore, ingredient possibilites are endless! traditionally speaking, they have been filled with sliced grilled pork, pork loaf, shrimp, fresh herbs and lettuce... but even for me, all that meat can easily become too heavy for some occasions.
therefore, in an attempt at a lighter more healthy alternative - without going completely vegetarian - i started using premium smoked ham from my local meat market as my substitute. and let me just say... that, in tandem with my preferred choice of fresh ingredients and special dipping sauce, has definitely stepped up as my new favorite go to dish right now. an absolutely sublime crunch of freshness in every bite... light enough as snack and/or appetizer, yet savory enough to enjoy as a meal! so simple... oh, so good!
1/2 vermicelli noodle package
1/2 c. cilantro leaves, rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1/4 iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb. premium smoked ham, sliced
rice paper wraps
*this recipe yields about 13-15 springrolls; 5 inches long, an inch thick
first, you want to boil your vermicelli noodles so they can cook while you're prepping the other ingredients; make sure you stir the noodles every few minutes as to not stick to the bottom of the pot. second, prepare the cold ingredients, accordingly. refrigerate upon completion, if needed.
once the vermicelli noodles are brought to a rolling boil, cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. immediately remove from heat and submerge in cold water. drain noodles in little bundles into a collander. let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until the noodles begin to get a little "gelly." this gives the noodles sufficient time to set, which helps immensely for structure/support when constructing each springroll.
the fourth step would be placing everything out in a sensible order, as well as a large flat bowl of warm tap water. take each dry rice paper wrapper and submerge it into the water for about 30 seconds, or just until pliable. lay flat on a clean surface and begin putting together all ingredients - then wrap tightly like an eggroll.
best served fresh - with dipping sauce - at room temperature.
*i would include the recipe for my special dipping sauce, but it's an eyeballed/trial&error approach with no exact measurements. but for your reference, it's similar to this one here.
bon appetit!
