Last summer, I found myself craving these rice paper rolls I ordered at a Vietnamese Restaurant. While living on such a strict budget, I didn't have the means to visit the restaurant again, so I decided to learn how to make the rolls myself.
For more information, visit this page for the recipe I took inspiration from. I will not be including the peanut sauce recipe because I followed HungryHuy's instructions and it turned out delicious. .
In a pot, bring some water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Once the water is bubbling, add in the shrimp and cook it until the shrimp turns pink (about 2 minutes). Once cooked, drop the shrimp into a bowl of ice water. Cut the shrimp lengthwise, pat dry, and set aside for assembly.
Romaine lettuce is preferred because you can peel the leaf from the stem and then cut along the seam of the lettuce. This will make the lettuce the perfect width for the rolls. You can also shred the lettuce, or substitute for shredded spinach. The carrots and cucumbers should be cut into matchsticks, just like how they are cut for sushi rolls.
Vermicelli noodles are very fragile and can go from tough to overcooked in seconds. Bring a pot of water to boil and drop in your noodles. Stir until the noodles separate and go from clear to opague. Just like spaghetti, pick up a noodle with your fork and give it a nibble to ensure it's cooked thoroughly, or to your liking. Shock the cooked noodles by dropping them into ice cold water. You can also put the noodles in a strainer and rinse them with cold sink water. Let the noodles strain in a colander and set them aside for assembly.
Contrary to popular belief, rice paper works best when it's dunked in cold water. This keeps the paper from becoming too gummy while rolling. With your moistened rice paper on a cutting board, add the shrimp first with the pink side facing away from you. Add your vegetables and roll.