Special seafood spring rolls

Spring rolls of local whitefish, crab and noodles with small-leaf salad, chilli lime ginger caramel and ponzu

Serves 4

Ingredients (spring rolls):

• 8x 10 inch spring roll wrappers (find at any good Asian grocer)
• 400g fresh whitefish (snapper is perfect), boned and skinned (roughly chopped)
• 400g fresh picked spanner crab
• 1 small carrot (peeled and cut into fine strips)
• ½ bunch chopped coriander
• 1 small red chilli (deseeded) and finely diced
• 20 g rice noodles(soaked in tepid water for a few minutes until soft, then drained)
• 50ml kecap manis soy sauce
• 20 ml fish sauce
• Sea salt/pepper
• Oil for cooking (about 500ml)

Method:

1. Combine fish, crab, carrot, chilli, coriander, soft noodles, sauces and seasoning in a bowl and mix well.
2. Place two wrappers on top of each other on a bench to form a diamond shape. Place 200g of seafood mixture at the base of each diamond, roll tightly twice, fold edges in to form a spring roll and continue to roll tightly until the spring roll is formed.
3. "Glue" the last roll with a little warm water. Rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes

Ingredients (chilli, lime, ginger caramel):

• 3 long red chillies (seeded and cut into fine strips)
• 40g whole ginger (peeled and cut into fine strips like the chilli)
• 50g palm sugar
• Juice of 2 limes

Method:

1. In a hot saucepan, gently sweat off chilli and ginger, and when soft (about 3-4 minutes) add palm sugar, as it starts to caramelise. Deglaze with lime juice and reduce until caramel colour starts to re-form (about 5-6 minutes).

Ingredients (salad and ponzu):

• 1 bunch bok choy (blanched)
• 100g green beans (top/tailed and blanched)
• 100g bean shoots
• Small amount of mizuna or rocket
• 30ml kecap manis soy sauce
• 20ml rice wine vinegar
• Juice of 2 Tahitian limes
• Combine all

To assemble:

1. Heat oil in wok or deep fryer to 180C. Gently place spring rolls in fryer and cook, turning occasionally for about four minutes.
2. Take out of wok/fryer. Cut each spring roll on a diagonal and return to the wok/fryer for a further 3-4 minutes. The wrappers will be crisp and the "flesh" of the spring roll golden.
3. Take out of oil and even off the ends of the spring with a sharp knife.
4. On a plate, assemble the salad, finishing with the chilli caramel and either mizuna or rocket.
5. Drizzle ponzu around plate, stand the spring rolls up like "soldiers" and enjoy.

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Topics:  easy eating, recipes, seafood