Sweet gingered prawn rolls

In case you were wandering what I did with the rice paper, the answer is in this recipe. Funny thing about the rice paper though - I visited several Asian food stores, mainly Korean and Japanese, and when I asked for rice paper they giggled and shook their heads. So does it mean that I'm an ignorant foreigner if rice paper is only used in Chinese and Thai cooking and I should have automatically realised that I won't find it in Korean or Japanese store? In any case, Capers had some so I found what I was looking for without having to go too far.

Rice paper is nice material, it's often used in spring rolls and deep fried, but you can just as well just roll it and eat as-is. But anyway, here's what you need:

~ 1 kg uncooked prawns
100 g grated fresh ginger
as many cloves of garlic as you want, crushed
2 tablespoons of finely grated lime rind
big splash of something sweet - I used rice syrup but honey would work
~ 80 ml sweet chili sauce
~ 80 ml chicken stock
rice paper
baby spinach leaves
fresh coriander

Shell and devain prawns, and chop them roughly. Combine prawns, ginger, garlic and your sweet stuff in a large shallow bowl, and refrigerate at least three hours, or until you need them.

Heat oiled pan, and cook the prawns until they're just right - remember, cooking prawns too long will make them rubbery. Take them off the pan while keeping all the liquid they might have left behind in the pan. Place the chili sauce and the chicken stock to the pan, and let simmer until it thickens. Pour over the prawns.

Take one sheet of rice paper and put it in a large bowl of warm water until it's soft. Take the paper out from water and place on a board, pat dry with a towel or paper. Place some baby spinach and coriander leaves in the middle of the paper, add prawn mixture to the top. Fold in top and bottom, roll from side to enclose the filling. Repeat until all prawn mixture is used - I made about 17 rolls (but it's of course dependant on the size of the rice paper).

Once you let the rolls sit for couple of minutes they should be firm enough to eat with your fingers, serve with rice or dip in soy sauce.

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