It has been way too long since I've had a spring roll. Two years? Three? Four? I've known about Coeliac disease for four years, but I am pretty sure I stole one or two during my first year after the diagnosis (which is far worse for me than I'll ever realise!)
Spring rolls are a complete nostalgia trip. As a child, I would get vegetarian rolls from the King's View Chinese restaurant at Riverwood, and they were an especially special treat, right up there with birthday cake and Easter eggs.
I've heard about people making spring rolls using regular old rice paper wraps, but when I tried baking and shallow-frying, it didn't seem to work. That only left one alternative before giving up completely: the deep fryer. And not only did it work, it was superb.
You'll need two tablespoons of filling and two rice wraps per spring roll (the latter will not only provide a thicker layer, but will help keep the form).
For my filling, I used fresh garlic and ginger with a little sesame oil, shittake mushrooms, and peanut-meat. I had to whip it up in a rush, so next time I would make something a little more vegetable centric (we did serve this alongside an exclusively vegetable stir-fry, so don't worry).
If you have the time, I would recommend Lauren Ulm's recipe for the Chinese Broccoli Wonton (filling only, and using mushrooms in place of seitan). This is a hearty recipe that I have used in all my attempts for spring roll filling, and it has always been great (even if my pastry attempts were sub-par).
- Get a shallow, wide bowl and fill it with hot tap water
- Submerge two rice paper rolls at a time, until they are soft (about thirty seconds)
- Fold the horizontal sides over, then the bottom, then roll up (wrap them as tight as possible, as they will attempt to unfurl during the cooking process)
- Repeat with the remaining rice paper rolls and filling
- Deep-fry for them for about ten minutes each (our deep-fryer fits about four at a time, which just leaves enough space so they aren't touching.) If they touch, they will stick, so be careful.
- Pat dry with paper towels and allow to cool slightly before serving
Over-all, these were fantastic, but Pete was not fond of them. Realistically, if you can eat the gluten ones, eat them, because these aren't the golden deliciousness that is gluten, and they never will be. However, if you're Coeliac / gluten-intolerant, and it has been a while, these are nothing short of a gift from the gods. Enjoy!
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