Tim's Chat Room Spring Rolls

If ya'll didn't make it into Chat last night, you missed an awesome cooking lesson from Tim. I tried to take really good notes, and I hope he'll see this and add/correct anything I missed.

Ingredients list
Dipping Sauce:
Fish sauce
Fresh lemon juice
Sugar
Hot pepper flakes

Spring Rolls:
Oyster sauce
Soy sauce
Spring Roll wrappers
Rice noodles
Meat - chicken, pork or shrimp
Scallions (green onions)
Carrots
Cucumbers
Bean sprouts
Peanut oil (for sauteeing - you can use vegetable oil, but it may smoke.)


Step 1. Make the Dipping Sauce
Heat a small amount of water and add some sugar, stirring until dissolved to create a thin "simple sugar". Remove from heat and add fish sauce, lemon juice and hot pepper flakes to taste.

A peanut sauce is also good with spring rolls. If it's thick, you can thin it with a bit of pineapple juice.

Step 2. Marinate the Meat
You can use chicken, shrimp or pork. Slice thin and marinate in oyster sauce with soy sauce for an hour or so prior to cooking.

Step 3. Assemble the Ingredients:
Cook rice noodles, boiling until tender. Drain, rinse in cool water and drain again. Set aside.

Thinly slice scallions (as many as you'd like), and julienne some carrots and cucumbers into matchstick size pieces.

Place the spring roll wrappers in warm water so they can soak for about 15 minutes while you're assembling the stuffing.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Add scallions, meat and julienned vegetables, bean sprouts and rice noodles, and a bit of soy sauce. Cook until vegetables are crisp tender and meat is done. (If using shrimp, add a little later as it will cook quickly.)

Have the wrappers nearby, and a plate to assemble them. Place a wrapper on the plate, add some stuffing and roll up tight (like a burrito). Serve with dipping sauce.

If you've never had spring rolls, you're missing a real treat! These also make a unique and great-tasting "finger food" for holiday party spreads.

Tim, thanks again for sharing this recipe!