Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Rolls with Smoked Sprats


Why Failure?
Actually this one is my failure and is a great success at the same time. Failure for the one single reason: as a result of some strange chemical reaction, overnight, rolls leftovers acquired awkward very bitter taste. I'll try to research into this and eventually will move this post to "Successes" category because right after I made them they tasted fabulous - smokiness of fish was counteracted by freshness of greens, light, refreshing and delicious.


Idea
I've got the idea of this dish from online video by my favorite chef Jacques Pepin. I always loved sprats (I'm from former USSR after all!) but the idea to stick it into spring roll strike me to the heart :) Other ingredients, besides sprats and red onion, are my take on this recipe. Well, it worked in a beginning very well...


Short recipe
Two sprats, some julienned broccoli stem (that's what could become bitter overnight!), a little red onion and parsley leaves are rolled into rice pepper. Vietnamese dipping sauce made of fish sauce + lime juice + brown sugar + garlic goes very well with these rolls.


Lesson learned
Now I'm almost sure that broccoli was the reason for bitterness. Next time I will omit it, I just wanted to utilize broccoli stems and look what have happened :(








Rice pepper goes into warm water for a minute to become pliable.

Broccoli stems, julienned.




And finally, key ingredient, sprats, smoky and delicious as is, out of a can.

Lay prasley leaves close to opposite edge for beautiful see-through effect.




Keep rolls under wet towel to prevent from drying out.


Aren't they lovely looking things?

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you. They tasted good too (but just the same day as I was whining about above). I forgot to mention that I served it with vietnamese dipping sauce - delicious!

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