Jacques Pépin: More Fast Food My Way
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Rice papers, or spring roll wrappers, are transparent brittle disks made of rice flour. They're available at Asian markets, specialty stores, and some supermarkets. They need only 45 seconds to a minute to rehydrate in water, making them soft, pliable, and usable for quick hors d'oeuvres. They can be stuffed with shrimp, fish, meat, and vegetables, as well as cheese, ham, olives, or nuts; use whatever you have on hand.
Wet 16 dried rice papers under cold tap water. Set them aside for a minute to soften. Peel and pit 1 avocado and cut it into 16 wedges. Drain and set aside 16 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves. Peel 4 scallions and cut them into 3-inch pieces. Lay the rice papers flat on the table and top each with a wedge of avocado, a sun-dried tomato half, 1 sprig fresh cilantro, and a few pieces of scallion. Sprinkle a little salt and a dash of Tabasco hot pepper sauce on each. Fold the vegetables inside the soft rice papers, bringing the sides in to make a tight, compact roll. Serve. —Jacques Pépin
4 servings