Today we take a trip to Vietnam to taste the summer rolls, these spectacular rolls prepared with rice paper and filled in many different ways. This time I prepared them with fried chicken and vegetables and served them with hollandaise sauce. They are really delicious and perfect to enjoy during hot summer days. Additionally, thanks to all the raw vegetables inside, they are also rich in vitamins.
The vegetables inside the summer rolls are not seasoned, which is why the rolls should be accompanied by a sauce. In my case, hollandaise sauce, or, if you prefer, you can also prepare a peanut butter sauce, which you can find in my recipe for summer rolls with shrimp. Alternatively, a classic dressing made with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegar will also do.
Unleash your creativity in preparing these tasty and fresh summer rolls!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 10 summer rolls
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 12 leaves lettuce
- 1 carrot (2 if they are small)
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 20 leaves parsley
- 20 leaves basil
- 14 oz chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 10 sheets rice paper (8-inch diameter)
- 11 tablespoons butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- to taste salt
- 2 cups oil for frying
Steps
To prepare the summer rolls with chicken and vegetables, wash all the vegetables and set aside the lettuce, parsley, and basil to drain.
Cut carrots and cucumber into thin sticks (approx. 1/8 inch), and slice the bell peppers into strips.
Clean the chicken breast and cut it into strips about 3/4 inch thick.
Prepare three shallow plates: one with flour, one with egg, salt, and pepper, and the third with breadcrumbs. Bread the chicken strips by dipping them first in flour, then in the beaten egg with a fork, and finally in breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in a medium pot and fry the chicken strips, a few at a time, until golden. Remove from the oil and lay on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
Now you can assemble your summer rolls.
Prepare a shallow dish or bowl with water and a clean but damp cloth that you will place on the work surface. Take the first rice paper sheet and immerse it in the water for 6-7 seconds. Remove from the water and place it on the damp cloth.
Fill it with a lettuce leaf, a few carrot sticks, cucumber, bell peppers, basil, parsley, and 1-2 fried chicken strips. Place the filling in a single block about 1/3 of the way down the rice paper sheet. Once the filling is added, fold the two opposite sides of the rice paper inward, partially covering the filling, then, starting from the bottom, roll it all up to form a roll with the filling well enclosed inside.
Lay the roll on a plate and proceed the same way with the remaining ingredients.To prepare the hollandaise sauce, heat a small amount of water in a saucepan. Melt the butter in another saucepan without boiling it, just heating it until it melts.
Place the yolks in a bowl suitable for a bain-marie and mix well with the lemon juice, water, mustard, and salt to taste. Set the bowl over the saucepan with water and, keeping the heat medium-low, beat the mixture with a whisk until frothy and creamy. At this point, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually pour in the melted butter, continuing to whisk to incorporate it well, without the sauce breaking. Adjust salt if necessary.
Serve your summer rolls with fried chicken and vegetables accompanied by the hollandaise sauce.
To make them more visually appealing, you can cut the summer rolls in half and place them vertically, with the cut side facing up, on a plate.
