Tableside Cooking (Nuong Vi or Nhung Bo)

Sometimes called Vietnamese fajitas, nuong vi is more of a method than a dish or recipe.  Nuong vi is where the meats are cook on a hot griddle tableside and then made into summer rolls.  In this recipe, I only mention shrimp but my family typically do a trifecta; shrimp, beef and fish. If you're using fish, it needs to be a pretty hardy.  Nothing that flakes easily or will fall apart with a little handling.

Summer rolls with shrimp  (Photo courtesy: D. Bui)

The Goods:

3 medium/large shrimp per summer roll (about 36)
4 green onions stalks(the white part)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp sesame oil 

2 tbl of olive oil
salt and pepper
Butter
12 rice paper spring roll wrappers (Banh trang)
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
fresh pineapple slices cut length wise
2 cups of rice vermercilli, cooked
1 bunch green leaf lettuce
Peanut butter soy dipping sauce (recipe follows)

The How To:
Using a mortar and pestle or small blender, crush/blend green onion, garlic, salt and pepper until thoroughly combine.  Add sesame oil, olive oil and stir.  Taste and adjust marinade as needed. Mix marinade with shrimp, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

This is how we "roll" in my house (steak, shrimp and fish)

Turn on table top griddle to 350 to 400 degrees and add about 2 tablespoon of butter.  Remove shrimp from refrigerator, cook each side for about two minutes.  You will need to add more butter as you go along to cook  the meats.  While meat is cooking, prepare your summer rolls.  Pour hot water in a shallow dish.  Dip 1 rice paper wrapper in hot water briefly to soften.  Choose your accouterments - cucumber, lettuce, pineapple - and topped with shrimp.  Fold sides of wrapper over filling and roll it up "jelly roll" style. Serve with peanut butter soy sauce for dipping.

Summer rolls made with little rice paper rounds.  I recommend using the larger one.
  It's just easier all the way around.  (Photo courtesy: D. Bui)

Peanut butter soy dipping sauce
 
The Goods:
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 thai chili pepper, minced
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 tbl of vegetable oil
2 tbl sugar
2 tbl vinegar
1/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 to 1 cup of water

The How To:

In a sauce pan, saute garlic and chili pepper in vegetable oil until it starts releasing an aroma.  Add soy sauce and bring to slight simmer before adding sugar and vinegar.  Stir in water and bring back up to a simmer.  Add peanut butter, mix until thorough combined. Taste and add more sugar, vinegar and peanut butter to suit your palate.

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