Vietnamese Shrimp Salad Rolls (Gỏi Tôm Cuốn)
Shrimp cured in vinegar with pounded ginger and Thai chilis, rolled in rice paper with crunchy sesame rice crackers, lettuce and herbs, and dipped in a sweet and tangy sauce made from the curing liquid.
Ingredients
Cured shrimp
- 1–1½ lb shrimp cleaned, deveined and cut into small chunks
- 1 cup white vinegar enough to cover the shrimp
- 8–10 Thai chilis pounded with the ginger
- 1 medium ginger root peeled, pounded with the Thai chilis
Sauce
- reserved curing liquid
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon water
To roll
- rice paper
- sesame rice paper (bánh tráng mè) toasted or grilled until crispy, broken into pieces
- lettuce
- fresh Vietnamese herbs
Instructions
Cure the shrimp
- Clean and devein the shrimp, then cut into small chunks.
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the ginger and Thai chilis into a coarse paste.
- In a bowl, combine the shrimp with the pounded ginger and chili mixture, then pour in enough white vinegar to cover. Let soak for at least 2 hours, until the shrimp turn opaque.
- Drain the shrimp, reserving the curing liquid for the sauce.
Make the sauce
- Pour the reserved curing liquid into a small pot and add the fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a simmer and reduce slightly. Taste and adjust.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens. Let cool.
Roll and serve
- Toast the sesame rice paper until crispy, then break into pieces.
- Dip a sheet of rice paper in water to soften. Layer lettuce, herbs, a piece of sesame rice cracker and some cured shrimp with ginger and chili, then roll up tightly.
- Serve the rolls with the sauce for dipping.
Notes
Use very fresh shrimp: The shrimp are "cooked" by the vinegar rather than heat, so buy the freshest shrimp you can find. If you prefer, blanch them briefly before curing.