That’s a wrap
Think of summer rolls as packaged salads
A single ingredient can turn salads into festive finger food: Rice paper rounds, also called spring roll wrappers.
They are widely available on the international aisle of grocery stores and in Asian markets. They come dehydrated and brittle. But a brief dip in warm water transforms them into pliable wrappers for creating tidy bundles of whatever chilled fillings you can imagine.
I went with the most brilliantly hued vegetables I could find: Carrot, watermelon radish, bell pepper and red lettuce leaves, along with fragrant fresh basil and mint, a cool crunch of cucumber, and plump, pink shrimp.
Have all ingredients lined up and ready before you begin because a softened wrapper needs to be filled before it gets too sticky and hard to handle.
And because the ingredient you add first will be visible against the sheer wrapper, I recommend starting each roll with a different component, so you get the full spectrum of colour on your platter.
For the rolls:
8 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, cooked and chilled 16 medium fresh basil leaves 16 medium mint leaves 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded carrot 1/4 cup (60 mL) thinly sliced radish, cut into half-moons, preferably watermelon radish 1/4 English (seedless) cucumber (unpeeled), sliced thinly into half-moons 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchsticks (julienne) 3 red leaf lettuce leaves, spines removed, torn into large pieces 8 round rice paper wrappers (about 6 inches in diameter)
For the sauce:
▶ Whisk together rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, chili sauce, fish sauce and scallion in a medium bowl until they are well combined and the honey is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 3 days).
For the rolls:
▶ Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise.
▶ Line up the basil and mint leaves, carrot, radish, cucumber, red bell pepper and lettuce in separate bowls.
▶ Fill a 9-inch (22.5-cm) or larger pie plate with very warm water that is not too hot to touch. Place a rice paper round in the hot water and soak for no more than 15 seconds — just until it is pliable and the pattern on the surface of the rice paper is barely visible.
▶ Transfer to a clean work surface, making sure to lay the softened round flat.
▶ Layer some of each of the ingredients onto the centre of the round, then roll it up, burrito style, tucking in the sides as you go. Place the finished roll on a plate and cover with a damp cloth or paper towel.
▶ Repeat with the remaining rice paper rounds and filling ingredients. Serve with dipping sauce.