Why do we never see fresh spring rolls stuffed with chicken?
We see shrimp and vegetarian and even crab. But never chicken. And that’s a shame, because the ingredients in a fresh spring roll — usually a blend of vegetables and noodles, often some avocado, maybe some mint, all wrapped in tender rice paper — aren’t all that far removed from the usual chicken salad ingredients.
And then there is the dipping sauce. There are plenty of variations, but spicy peanut sauce is among the most common. And chicken certainly gets along well with peanut sauce.
So I decided to take spring rolls in a fowl direction. When paired with crunchy jicama, carrots and cucumber, the chicken shines as a spring roll filling. Add fresh mint and a deliciously sweet-and-sour spicy peanut sauce, and you have the makings of a fine Asian-inspired meal.
When soaking the rice wrappers, do them one at a time. And don’t soak them longer than suggested or they will fall apart. The rice noodles and wrappers can be found in the Asian or international aisle of most grocers.