Ginger and Coconut Chicken Spring Rolls

, from Issue #52. November, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Ginger and Coconut Chicken Spring Rolls

Rice paper wrappers are incredibly versatile and work with multiple flavours. Keep the fillings simple and take care not to over-stuff them, or rolling them up becomes impossible.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut chicken
400 grams chicken breast, skin off
1 x 400 ml tin coconut cream
½ cup water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
2 tablespoons julienned fresh ginger
small handful coriander stalks

To assemble
1 slim telegraph cucumber
12 x 22cm rice paper rounds
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
½ cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped
mint or coriander leaves
long chives

Dipping sauce
¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed

METHOD

Chicken: Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to just below the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the chicken to cool in the liquid. Remove the chicken and shred into long strips. Place in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup of the cooking stock. Cover and chill if not using immediately.

To assemble: Using a vegetable peeler, shave long strips off the cucumber, avoiding the seeds.

Fill a wide shallow bowl with hot tap water. Soak a rice paper briefly in water until pliable but not completely soft, then lay flat on a wooden chopping board.

Place a mint leaf at the top edge of the rice paper then lay a strip of cucumber vertically down the centre over the mint. At the end closest to you, place a small pile of carrots, shredded chicken and a few chopped peanuts. Bring the bottom edge of the wrapper tightly up over the filling and roll twice, then fold the sides in over it. Continue to roll up tightly, then just before the final roll place a couple of chives so they stick out each end, then finish rolling. Repeat with the remaining rice papers.

Place slightly apart on a platter so they don’t stick together. Cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Dipping sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Spoon a little dipping sauce and a few peanuts over each roll, serving the rest separately. Makes 12 rolls