Soft Rolls with Crab

Soft Rolls with Crab

Description

Makes 16 soft rolls.

Ingredients

• 1 lb cooked crabmeat
• 1 lb fresh asparagus
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 headlettuce
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• rice paper sheets (Banh Trang)
• Hoisin Dipping Sauce and/or Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet, add asparagus and cook for one minute.
2. Add water and cook, covered, for three minutes more; remove from heat.
3. Note: crab is meant to be chilled and asparagus is meant to be cooled down to room temperature when building rolls.
4. Fill a large bowl with warm water (deep enough to submerge a rice paper).
5. Dip one rice paper at a time while building soft rolls, just till it becomes pliable; remove from water and blot on paper toweling.
6. To build roll, on softened rice paper, place a lettuce leaf leaving margins on all sides (except top is ok).
7. Top lettuce with one ounce of crab, one piece of asparagus, a couple of pinches of alfalfa sprouts and shredded carrots, a fresh basil leaf, and a couple of cilantro sprigs.
8. Fold bottom edge of rice paper up over filling, then wrap right side over filling and roll up tightly into a bundle.
9. Place on serving platter covered with a damp paper towel while preparing remaining rolls.
10. Serve at once with dipping sauces and hot chile paste (sambal oelek), if desired.