David Thompson’s Long Chim in Sydney CBD is now firmly positioned as one of the best spots for modern Thai food in the city. And it’s often the opening acts that get all the fanfare, with plenty of smaller dishes served up as the highlights of this restaurant’s extensive menu. Count the incredible vegetarian spring rolls on that list, filled with soft and juicy shittake mushrooms, shredded Chinese cabbage and fresh glass noodles, amongst other ingredients.
When you’re not out munching these down, try to master them at home with Long Chim’s official recipe.
Says Long Chim’s kitchen:
“These crispy vegetarian snacks are a real crowd-pleaser and always so popular when on our menu at Long Chim. Prep time is around an hour, with the shiitake mushrooms soaking being the longest step. However, once the filling is made, it should be chilled, so really it is done in 2 steps. Get the mix all made, then stuff, roll and fry when you are ready to go. Once you get a rhythm for rolling, each one should take 30 seconds to put together.”
Note that this recipe makes 40 spring rolls.
Ingredients
Paste
- 25g coriander roots
- 2g salt
- 30g tablespoon peeled Thai garlic
- 10g tablespoon ginger
- 3g pinch white peppercorns
Stuffing
- 300g braised shiitake mushrooms, sliced (recipe below)
- 300g shredded Chinese cabbage
- 300g trimmed bean sprouts
- 300g shredded peeled yam bean (aka jicama)
- 300g blanched shredded bamboo
- 90ml shiitake mushrooms braising liquid (recipe below)
- 120ml light soy sauce
- 125ml mushroom vegetarian oyster sauce
- 300g fresh glass noodles, cut into 10cm length
- 15 white sugar
- 32g salt
- 6g ground white pepper
- 8g galangal powder
- 8g ginger powder
- 50g chipped spring onions
- 30g chopped coriander
- 12g deep fried garlic (this is made by chopping garlic coarsely, then deep frying until dark golden brown before drying on kitchen paper)
Wrapping
- 40g tapioca flour
- 60ml water
- 40 spring roll skins
- oil for deep frying
- sweet chilli sauce
Method
Paste
- Make a paste from the coriander roots, salt, ginger and garlic and white peppercorns.
Stuffing
- Heat the oil and fry the paste until golden.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, cabbage, bean sprouts, yam bean, bamboo.
- Moisten with the shiitake mushroom liquid and vegetarian oyster sauce and soy sauce then simmer dry.
- Add fresh glass noodles and season with the sugar, salt, pepper, and the galangal and ginger powders.
- Allow to cool.
- Add the spring onions and coriander and deep fried garlic just before wrapping.
Wrapping
- Make a thick slurry by mixing the tapioca flour with the water. If you don’t have tapioca flour, you can use egg wash.
- Lay out the spring rolls wrappers.
- Place the stuffing down the centre of the spring roll skins and wrap and roll. Seal with the slurry.
- Repeat until all the stuffing and skins are used.
- Ideally wrap freshly each day.
- When ready to eat, deep-fry until golden and crunchy – don’t crowd the fryer, just do 4-6 at a time to ensure you maintain temperature.
- Drain on absorbent paper.
- Serve with sweet chilli sauce.
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To check out Long Chim’s full menu head on over to longchimsydney.
