Unwrapping the versatile Vietnamese wrapper

The kitchen is a country in which there are always discoveries to be made. — Grimod de la Reynière (1758-1838)

It had been almost a month that my college chum Carlo Benedicto and I were in Europe before we began to miss Asian food (noodles, rice, and spicy dishes). The effect of eating cheese and bread every day had taken its toll. Our cravings and taste buds wanted to eat something Asian.

This search for change led us to Indochin, a French-Asian fusion restaurant in Cannes, and there I first discovered the Vietnamese wrapper, a fascinating, versatile ingredient. Used for appetizers, main dishes, and desserts, this wrapper is so unique that after eating, I immediately called home and told mom my new discovery. It was a revelation and I couldn’t wait to formulate recipes using this product.

The spring roll, or lumpia, is a world favorite. The French have their savory crepes filled with chunks of chicken, beef or seafood, and dessert crepes with fruits, nuts, and cream cheese. Soft, pliable crepes are made with flour or cornstarch, eggs, butter, water and salt, while the Polish crepes, a favorite among the young, use buckwheat instead of flour, which gives its brown color and crispy texture.

Our lumpia wrapper is made from flour, water, and rock salt, and is tedious to make — taking a handful, putting it on a very hot grill, rubbing in a circular motion, and retrieving with your hand until it leaves the side of the grill.

The latest and so far the most practical to use because it is pliable without breaking or drying up while rolling is the Vietnamese spring roll rice paper. Unopened, it will last at room temperature for months. The best available brand in the supermarkets for me is Fat and Thin.

To use, prepare a 12-inch round pan two inches high half-filled with water. Submerge the wrappers one at a time for a few seconds to soften and place on a chopping board or plate. Put filling, fold over the top, enclose the sides, and roll tightly. The Philippine or Chinese lumpia can be served as is fresh or deep-fried in hot oil. Drain on a paper towel. The wrapper guarantees that extra crispiness when fried or softness when served fresh.

Joseph Pineda’s Fresh Lumpia

10 pieces Fat and Thin Vietnamese spring roll wrappers

For the filling:

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

1/4 cup sliced onions

1 184-gram can tuna chunks or solid

1/2 cup each of thinly-sliced-into-strips (julienned) carrots,

1/2 cup cabbage (repolyo)

1/2 cup Baguio beans

1/2 cup fried tofu

1/2 cup 1 shrimp cube

1 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons cornstarch,

1/4 tsp. pepper

10 leaves lechugas Baguio or 5 leaves romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise

10 stems wansuey (Chinese parsley).

In a 12-inch frying pan, add the oil and garlic, and cook until light brown. Add onions. When soft, add tuna, beans, carrots, cabbage, and shrimp cube. Cook for two minutes. Mix together the water, soy sauce, sugar, peanut butter, and cornstarch. Add this mixture with the remaining ingredients. Cook until boiling. Cool well.

To assemble:

Soak the wrapper one at a time in water before rolling the filling.

Put softened wrapper on a plate. Arrange the lettuce leaf almost at the center of plate. Top with the wansuey and 1/4 cup filling. Fold top and sides. Roll tightly and arrange on serving platter. Repeat until all rolls are done.

Marvin Ngo’s Fried Lumpia

20 pieces Vietnamese spring roll wrapper

4 cups oil, for frying

For the filling:

1 375-gram can Chinese luncheon meat, chopped

1/2 kilo ground pork

1/4 cup shrimps, chopped

1/4 cup Chinese mushrooms, soaked, drained and chopped

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup spring onions, chopped

2 eggs

2 teaspoon rock salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the filling:

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

To assemble:

Soak the Vietnamese spring roll wrapper one at a time before using to wrap the filling.

Spread 1/4 cup of the filling in a long, thin line, one-inch thick, on each wrapper. Fold over the wrapper and roll as for lumpiang shanghai. Put on a plastic cling wrap-lined tray.

Deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper napkins.

Slice each roll diagonally into two or three. Serve with store-bought sweet chili sauce.

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