My sister, Carlie, and her friend, Connie, left me late Monday night to return to their lives in Texas. Before we said goodbye (yes, I did cry) they prepared a delicious last supper.Connies family is Cambodian and her traditional cooking skills are no less precious than gold. To help them live on, I asked her to teach me how to make classic summer rolls. She made them Monday night, and I proceeded to eat the leftovers for breakfast and lunch yesterday, as well as breakfast today. Thats really the only way I can articulate how fresh, satisfying, and fun to eat they are.Here is the recipe along with a sauce that, shockingly, beats peanut sauce.
Connies Summer Rolls with Coconut Fish Sauce
Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Garlic, diced (to taste)
Ginger, minced (to taste)
About 8 tablespoons fish sauce
2 cans coconut juice (available in the Asian foods section of the store)
Handful of peanuts, chopped
1. To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Brown garlic and ginger.
3. Add coconut juice.
4. Slowly add fish sauce, tasting as you go.
5. Heat through, then pour into a covered plastic container and cool in the fridge.
6. Before servings, sprinkle chopped peanuts in.
7. Serve cool or at room temperature with summer rolls.
Summer rolls:
Spring roll wrappers (available in the Asian foods section of the store)
Cellophane noodles (available in the Asian foods section of the store)
Fresh mint, keep on large sprig for people to tear off as they choose
Fresh cilantro, keep on large sprig for people to tear off as they choose
Cucumber, cut into thin wedges
Bean sprouts
Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Shredded chicken (pre-made rotisserie is easiest)
Shrimp, cooked and sliced in half down the center (frozen and thawed is easiest)
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes and/orsriracha sauce(optional)
1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Place hard spring roll wrappers on a plate.
3. Arrange all other stuffers including noodleson a large platter or twoand sprinkle with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes/sriracha sauceif you like.
4. Place a large, shallow dish of water to the table.
5. To make roll, dip wrapper in dish of water for about 20 seconds.Place on your plate, arrange stuffers on edge closest to you, and roll away from you.Fold the bottom edge away from you first, and then tuck in sides.
6. Store leftover rolls in the fridge covered with a damp paper towel or cloth.
