"Unrolled" Summer Roll

Submitted by gailanng

"Recipe by Mark Bittman."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• Dressing

• 1⁄4 cup fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon vietnamese garlic and red chile paste (or chopped fresh chilies to taste)
• salt and black pepper

• The Rest

• 4 -6 cups lettuce (washed dried and torn or chopped)
• 1 - 1 1⁄2 cup cooked rice noodles
• 1⁄2 cup shredded peeled carrot
• 1⁄4 cup fresh mint leaves (left whole or barely torn)
• 1⁄4 cup fresh Thai basil (left whole or barely torn or other sweet basil)
• 12 small slice cooked pork (or 12 poached or grilled shrimp, split lengthwise in half)
• scallion oil (optional recipe follows)

• Scallion Oil

• 1⁄4 cup neutral oil (like corn oil or canola oil)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 -3 scallions, trimmed and minced

directions

1. To Make Scallion Oil: Put the scallions in a small bowl; stir in the salt and sugar.
2. Heat the oil in a small pan until it is thin and fragrant. Pour the oil over the scallions; they should sizzle (if they do not, the oil wasn't hot enough). Cool and use by the spoonful.
3. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, sugar, ginger, and chili-garlic paste with about 1/4 cup water, to produce a thin sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and black pepper if necessary.
4. To finish: Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Top each with a quarter of the noodles, carrots, herbs, and pork or shrimp. Drizzle the dressing over all and top with Scallion Oil.