Anyone who has ever had the success rate with rice paper wrappers that I used to have has probably already navigated away from the page in total disgust, trying to erase the nightmarish visions of gloopy sheets of glutinous slop sticking to the bottom of the pan, the side of the pan, the slotted spoon in the pan and everything else within a 3 meter radius. The end result of trying to make anything with rice paper is usually a pitiful little clump of oil logged veggies with a shredded piece of wrapper stuck pathetically to one end, clinging on for dear life like a snotty tissue. Enter the chef on board one of the Bhaya Cruises vessels to clear up all the confusion in a cooking class on deck. What I thought was revelation shining down on me in amber hued rays as we cruised around Hulong Bay in Vietnam turned out to be just a break in the passing storm cloud, but the discovery was no less eye opening. Why, why, why has everyone always said you must dip the wrappers in a bowl of water? Worst. Idea. Ever. Unless you like having sticky bits of rice paper stuck to your plates, working surfaces, fingers and eyebrows. No. The secret is to place the rice paper wrapper on a wet tea towel and just pat it lightly. It should be just soft enough to become pliable without ever becoming sticky. Once you have the knack of it, the rolls can either be deep fried in oil or you can serve as is. If you choose the latter option, serve a dipping sauce with the rolls to make them softer and easier to eat. These have been claimed to be the best spring rolls ever made. The claimants were my friends, but don’t let that diminish their observational powers for you. Read the rest of this entry →