Seafood rice-paper rolls are ideal picnic food

Rice paper rolls, paired with a tangy dipping sauce, are a much-loved staple of Vietnamese cuisine.  Full of fresh intense aromas of fresh herbs, these light and tasty rolls look impressive, are easy to make and transport, and can be made the night before -  so are the ideal picnic food.

Seafood rice - paper rolls with sweet chilli and coriander sauce

 Fresh herbs such as Thai basil, mint and coriander are an essential ingredient but you can use almost anything to fill rice paper rolls, from leftover chicken, to all kinds of fresh vegetables.  Rice vermicelli noodles are often included for extra texture (soak the noodles in just boiled water to soften, then rinse in cold water then drain and chop into short lengths.)
 This post uses seafood but other suggestions include:-

Barbecued pork with cucumber, basil and mint

Barbecued chicken with Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, mint and
      coriander      

Roast beef with cucumber and mint

Chicken with lettuce mint and basil

Prawn, carrot, pea sprouts and mint

Avocado cut into strips, julienned carrot, cucumber and capsicum
      with mint and basil

 Seafood rice - paper rolls 
  for 10 rolls  

120g (4oz) mixed cooked seafood, such as white crab meat and peeled prawns
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 small carrots, very thinly sliced
3cm (1in) root ginger, very thinly sliced
10 coriander sprigs
20 fresh mint leaves
10 x 15cm (6in) wide circular rice paper wrappers
To serve - sweet chilli dipping sauce with chopped coriander leaves added.

•  Place a tea towel on the work surface and arrange the ingredients in separate piles, then pour boiling water into a shallow dish that is wide enough to take the rice paper.
• Working with one sheet of rice paper at a time, dip into the hot water  for 30 seconds or until soft enough to roll without splitting then transfer to the tea towel and dab excess off with another towel.
•  Place 1 tablespoon of seafood,  in the middle,  on the lower side of the wrapper ensuring it is kept 10 cm from the edge.  Lay some onion, carrot, and herbs next to seafood, allowing them to protrude from the top of the wrapper. Drizzle with a little of the sauce if desired.   Fold up the lower,  then fold in the side and roll up to make a tight parcel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

 Do not overfill or you could risk the rice paper splitting. Cover with a damp tea towel to prevent rolls drying out.

 Choose a sauce

Nuoc Cham is the Vietnamese dipping sauce that traditionally accompanies rice paper rolls. Made from equal quantities of fish sauce, lime juice, and sweet chilli sauce, the sauce is sweet, salty and sour. Or choose from this selection:-

• Satay - crunchy peanut butter, mixed with soy and thinned with lime juice
• Hoisin and peanut - hoisin mixed with soy, a little lime juice, peanut or sesame oil, and a scattering of crushed peanuts

May be made the night before, covered with 2 pieces of kitchen towel, then wrapped in plastic wrap, and refrigerated.
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