Can You Make Rice Paper Rolls Day Ahead

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If you're looking for Asian picnic food ideas, look no further than the rice paper roll.

For an Asian inspired picnic, rice paper rolls, along with nori rolls, make perfect Asian picnic fare. They are easy to transport and manage al fresco, they are incredibly versatile and are one of the more elegant cold picnic food ideas to grace the blanket.

Also called Summer Rolls or Fresh Spring Rolls, rice paper rolls are fresh and light, easy to make, and are very forgiving in as far as how you fill them. There are no set rules; just go with your style.

Serve them with a dipping sauce as the main picnic dish or as a side or starter. Maybe pair with Asian coleslaw and cold Asian spiced or marinated chicken pieces for a full Asian picnic menu.

I have gone with a smoked duck spring roll ( you can find the recipe for smoked duck breast below). Duck and Asian flavours go so well together and the duck makes the rice paper roll a more substantial dish. If you don't want to smoke your own duck breast, you can buy pre smoked duck from most supermarkets, butcher or poultry supplier.

As mentioned, there are no set rules with how you want to fill your spring rolls. I include chopped nuts inside for added crunch. Sometimes I use bean sprouts and sometimes not. Feel free to experiment.

How Far in Advance Can You Make Rice Paper Rolls

One of the key considerations regarding the preparation for a picnic is – how far in advance can I prepare this dish?

We have put full notes on preparation and storage of rice paper rolls in the recipe notes below. In short, rice paper rolls are best prepared as close to serving as possible and served at room temperature.

However, you can prepare them in advance and store them successfully. We just recommend no longer than 6-8 hours for maximum freshness. You can prepare your fillings the day before and have everything ready to roll on the day. The rolling really isn't the labour intensive part, you've done all the work with the prep.

How to Store Rice Paper Rolls

Again, we give you the full rundown in the recipe notes on how to store your rice paper rolls for maximum freshness. You will see lots of advice about using damp towels. This is a fine short term solution for laying over rolls that will be served immediately.

Use plastic wrap, with plastic separating each roll, so they don't stick together is the best way for longer-term storage. The rice paper wrapper also stays moist this way. Then, they can be stored in the fridge for a period of time in an airtight container.

Doing this will prevent them from drying and the rice paper becoming rubbery. Some have even had success making the rice paper rolls the night before and storing them this way. Make sure they return to room temperature before serving.

If you have some leftover duck breast, try our Smoked Duck, Fig and Grilled Pear Salad. It makes a delightful picnic salad that is sure to impress.

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time if Smoking Duck Breast 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Large round rice paper spring roll wrappers
• 3oz | 100g dried vermicelli rice noodles
• Thinly sliced vegetable of your choice. I use carrot, red pepper and cucumber and sometimes bean sprouts.
• Small smoked duck breast thinly sliced. 24 slices for 8 rolls (smoked duck recipe below or buy a pre smoked breast from the supermarket).
• 8 lettuce leaves - use soft lettuce such as iceberg or butter lettuce.
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
• 2- 3 scallions (spring onions) thinly sliced.
• Fresh cilantro (coriander)
• Handful of chopped peanuts or cashew nuts *optional
• Sesame oil

Notes

How Far in Advance Can You Make Rice Paper Rolls

Ideally, it is best if you prepare rice paper rolls as close to serving time as possible and served at room temperature. They do not hold up as well in the fridge if made the day before. Refrigerating can dry them out and make them rubbery. Especially if not stored correctly (see notes below). However, it is possible to prepare and store them in advance of serving - ideally, no longer than six-eight hours.

I would suggest prepping all your fillings the day before and roll them as close to your picnic as possible. Wrap in plastic as per below and pack in an airtight container.

How to Store Rice Paper Rolls

If preparing well in advance, some suggest keeping them covered with a damp towel, but the best way to keep your rolls fresh is to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Not covered with plastic wrap on a plate, but each roll wrapped in plastic, so they don't stick together.

This is not as labour intensive as it sounds. You can wrap the rolls in groups. Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap, wrap one and place another next to it and continue to wrap with the samp plastic piece ensuring there is a layer of plastic between each roll. Put them in an airtight container before refrigerating.

Allow the rolls to return to room temperature before serving. About 30 minutes out of the fridge should do the trick.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 565 Total Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 82mg Sodium: 448mg Carbohydrates: 66g Fiber: 10g Sugar: 8g Protein: 30g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate

See the full post on how to smoke duck breast here for more notes and tips on achieving tender, juicy smoked duck breast every time. It's a lot easier than you might think.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 boneless duck breasts
• 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper *optional

Notes

Rendering the Fat & Crisping the Skin

If the fat layer is thin, the fat will render and skin will crisp in the smoker. If the breast has a particularly thick layer of fat, you may wish to render this off in a pan after cooking. Depending on the thickness, you will need to factor this additional cooking time.

If it is thick, I recommend smoking to the rarer side of medium-rare to allow for at least another 5-10 minutes cooking skin down in the pan. Watch your heat as you want the fat to render and skin to crisp but not burn. Don't be scared to reduce the heat as it renders.

Keep Your BBQ and Kitchen Fat-Free

Duck generally has a lot of fat which will drip and splatter. It is recommended to use a foil tray or lining in your bbq to catch the fat as it drips. Also, use a grease splatter screen if rendering the fat in a pan after smoking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 163mg Sodium: 101mg Carbohydrates: 2g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 0g Protein: 30g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate

Can You Make Rice Paper Rolls Day Ahead

Source: https://picniclifestyle.com/smoked-duck-rice-paper-rolls/

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