Thai Salad Rolls with Green Chili Dipping Sauce
“An explosion of flavor and textures,” editorial director J.M. Hirsch writes of fresh rolls from Bangkok—nothing like the often bland, lettuce-forward variety you’ll often find in the US.
- MakesMakes ten 6-inch rolls
- Cook Time1 1/2 hours
- 5
Thai salad rolls are a cousin to better-known Vietnamese summer rolls. This recipe melds our favorite qualities of the many rolls we tasted during a recent visit to Bangkok. The filling is an unusual mixture of seasoned pork combined with browned shallots and cooked jasmine rice, plus fresh carrots, lettuce and aromatic Thai basil (Italian basil is a fine substitute). The tangy, spicy, umami-rich dipping sauce brings all of the flavors into focus. Be sure to soak the rice wrappers one at a time and only right before use. You want them to just start to soften, which takes only seconds. They will fully soften on the counter while you layer on the fillings. The finished rolls can be held at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for about two hours before serving; it’s best not to refrigerate them, as chilling affects the texture of the wrappers and filling.
Don’t attempt to fill the rolls if the pork-rice mixture is any warmer than room temperature. Any residual heat can wilt the greens and over-soften the rice paper wrapper. Also, don’t overfill the rolls or they’ll be too difficult to roll.
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