Top Shelf: Rice paper rolls with green mango, shrimp and avocado

Jul 14, 2019 by Timothy MacDonald

Top Shelf: by Chef Tim MacDonald

Some 30 years ago, on Richmond’s Victoria Street in Australia, the Vietnamese rice paper roll was a staple for the locals. 

Along with the French baguette sandwich filled with barbecued pork, coriander and lettuce – a throwback to the French days in Vietnam – the rice paper roll was one of the quintessential snack foods that the new Vietnamese hung on to as a go-to snack.

Rice paper rolls can be filled with any number of ingredients, but adaptation is the key to survival on yachts, depending  on where you happen to be in the world.

In Thailand, I am not cooking confit duck, but healthy options based on what the client wants.

At the height of mango season in Thailand, out in the jungle the mangos lie on the ground rotting. What the monkeys leave behind, the locals scoop up and sell in the markets. The extra large ones go for €1.60 per kilogram.

Not often seen are the green mangos used in a variant on the green papaya salad. The mango at this stage has the perfect balance of sweet acid and texture. Adapting it to the yachting world with the additional combination of avocado and shrimp make for the perfect harmonious marriage.

Crushed roasted peanuts, fresh local hot mint and bird’s eye chili adds that all-important backdrop to the green mango at center stage. Perfect for a healthy lunchtime buffet option while on anchor. A simple sweet chili sauce dip is all that would be needed.

The trick is finding mangos that are in the “green-but-on-the-way-to-being-ripe” stage. This sweet/sharp contrast is the secret.

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado, split and cut lengthwise
  • 6 cooked shrimp
  • 3 large, green mangos, shredded in julienne
  • 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 cup hot mint
  • 1/4 cup Thai basil
  • 2 bird’s eye chilis, cut fine
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves
  • Vietnamese rice paper wrappers. extra large size
  • Sweet chili sauce

Preparation

  • Combine all the ingredients to make the filling.  
  • Soak the rice paper until soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Lay the rice paper flat and add the filling. 
  • Tucking in the sides first, roll up into a tight roll.
  • Chill and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Tim MacDonald (timothymacdonald.weebly.com) has more than 20 years experience as a chef. He was named Concours de Chefs winner for Yachts over 160 feet at the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show. His recipes are designed for the owner and guests. Comments are welcome below.

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