Classic Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Rice Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, peeled and deveined
• 4 oz thin rice vermicelli noodles
• 20 sheets round rice paper wrappers
• 1 small head romaine lettuce or butter lettuce, leaves separated, large leaves torn in half
• 1 medium English cucumber, julienned into thin matchsticks
• 2 large large carrot, peeled and julienned into thin matchsticks
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, stems removed
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves, stems removed
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, roughly torn
• 4 stalks green onions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
• 2 limes lime, 1 halved for blanching, 1 cut into wedges for serving
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cloves garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp to 1 tbsp fresh red chili or chili garlic sauce, finely sliced if using fresh chili
• 3 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. If your shrimp are frozen, thaw them first. Place 1 lb (450 g) frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined in a colander and run cold tap water over them for 5 to 7 minutes, moving them around occasionally, until completely thawed and no icy parts remain. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
2. Fill your large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. While it heats up, get everything lined up on your cutting board. Place 4 oz (115 g) dry rice vermicelli noodles in a large mixing bowl.
3. Once the water boils, pour enough of it over the noodles in the bowl to fully submerge them. Let them soak for 4 to 5 minutes, nudging them apart with a fork, until they are tender but still have a little bite. They should be soft enough to chew through without squeaking, but not mushy. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
4. While the noodles soak, make the dipping sauce. Mince 2 cloves garlic finely. In your small saucepan over low heat, combine 3 tbsp (45 ml) hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut aminos, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce, 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, 2 tbsp (30 ml) water, and the minced 2 cloves garlic. Stir for about 1 minute just to warm it through and let the garlic mellow slightly. Take it off the heat and stir in 1 tsp to 1 tbsp (5 to 15 ml) fresh red chili or chili garlic sauce, starting small and adding more once you taste it. Pour into a small serving bowl and scatter 3 tbsp (30 g) roughly chopped roasted peanuts on top. Set aside.
5. Blanch the shrimp. Return the pot of water to a boil. Squeeze half a lime into the water and add 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt. Drop in the 1 lb (450 g) peeled and deveined shrimp. They will cook fast. Watch them closely: after about 2 minutes, they should be fully pink and curled into a C shape, no longer translucent in the center. Don't let them go much longer or they tighten up. Scoop them out with tongs into the colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking. Once cooled, slice each shrimp in half lengthwise so you have two thin halves per shrimp. This makes them lie flat and look beautiful through the wrapper.
6. Now prep all the fillings. Peel 2 large carrots and julienne them into thin matchsticks, about 2 inches / 5 cm long. Julienne 1 medium English cucumber into matchsticks the same size, discarding the seedy core if it is very watery. Separate the leaves of 1 small head romaine or butter lettuce, tearing any large leaves in half so they're roughly the same size as your rolling hand. Arrange all the fillings in a little assembly line: noodles, shrimp, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, 1 cup (25 g) mint leaves, 1 cup (25 g) Thai basil leaves, 1 cup (25 g) roughly torn cilantro, 4 thinly sliced green onions, and 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin. Lay a clean, damp kitchen towel flat on your counter. Squeeze the remaining lime half into wedges for serving.
7. Time to roll. Fill your wide, shallow dish with warm water, not hot. Working one wrapper at a time, dip a rice paper sheet into the water and hold it submerged for about 8 to 10 seconds. It will still feel a little stiff when you pull it out. That's fine. Lay it flat on the damp towel. It will soften completely by the time you add the fillings.
8. On the lower third of the wrapper, lay down a small piece of lettuce, then a small tangle of noodles, a few matchsticks each of carrot and cucumber, a few herb leaves, a pinch of green onion, and a slice or two of avocado. Don't overfill. Less is more here, and your first roll will almost certainly look a bit lumpy. That's completely normal. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, tuck in the sides like a burrito, then give it one more forward roll. Before you make the final roll, lay 3 to 4 shrimp halves cut-side down in a row along the top of the roll so they will show through the wrapper when finished. Roll it tight. Set seam-side down on a plate and repeat with the remaining wrappers and fillings.
9. Arrange the finished rolls on a platter with the dipping sauce and the lime wedges alongside. If you're not serving immediately, lay a barely damp paper towel over the rolls to keep the wrappers from drying out. Don't refrigerate them, the rice paper gets rubbery and stiff when cold.