Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Hot Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 (1-ounce) skeins mung bean noodles or cellophane noodles
• 8 (8 1/2-inch) round rice paper wrappers
• 8 small romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed, patted dry, ribs removed, and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1-ounce alfalfa or radish sprouts
• 32 cooked medium shrimp halves
• 32 fresh mint leaves
• 32 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• Hot Mustard Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Put 2 cups hot water in a large bowl and add the noodles. Soak them until softened but slightly resilient, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain them and pat dry on paper towels. Put in a bowl and cover. Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl. Submerge 1 rice paper wrapper in the water and soak it until softened, about 1 minute. Carefully remove the rice paper from the water and lay it flat on the towel. In the center of the sheet, layer 4 lettuce pieces, about 20 sprouts, 4 shrimp halves, arranged side by side in a row, 4 mint leaves, 4 cilantro sprigs, and one-eighth of the carrots. Pull the bottom up over the filling, fold over the sides, and roll up like an egg roll. Place seam-side-down on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining rice papers and filling. Serve immediately, with the Hot Mustard Sauce.

Hot Mustard Sauce:

• 1/3 cup dry Chinese hot mustard
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Pinch salt

Put the mustard in a small bowl and slowly drizzle in the water, whisking to make a thin paste. Add the vinegar and salt and whisk well to blend. Set aside until needed. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Stir well before serving.) Yield: 1/2 cup