Sakura Rice Paper Rolls with Carrot Miso Ginger Sauce

Posted on 20 November, 2014

Yum

A dear friend of mine just returned from her trip to Japan and got be this awesome pickled Sakura flowers. Most people use them to produce baked goods. I’ve yet to come across any other recipe except Sakura rice that used Sakura flowers, especially in a savoury dish. When I received the jar of pickled Sakura flowers, I started cracking my brain on what I can do with it, something savoury, something different. And my thoughts drifted to the Vietnamese Summer Rolls that I made a week ago… (I sometimes think I have attention deficits) So that gave me the idea of making Japanese inspired rice paper rolls. The ingredients used as the filling are adapted from the popular Kani Avocado Salad. I actually bought fish roe but forgotten to include it when making the rolls. Nonetheless, the husband really loved it, and so did I! The Sakura provided a very subtle flavour, and I can taste the plum vinegar! I did use the water that I was soaking the flowers in. Poured it into the larger container to dip the rice paper sheets. The Sakura flowers sure did give the aesthetic department of the dish a little boost. 🙂

The flowers after I pat dry them. Aren’t they pretty?!
Here’s the recipe for the sauce and summer rolls.

Sauce (makes about 1/2 cup) adapted from food.com

1 med carrot, cut to 1 inch length
1 inch thumb ginger
1 tbsp white miso paste
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1-1/2 tsp corn oil or canola oil
1-1/2 tsp sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Water to desired consistency (I added about 1/4 cup)

Add everything into a blender and blend.

Adjust consistency of sauce to your preference with more or less water.

The flowers needs a little more prep work. More like inactive time due to the soaking.
Gently wash the salt of the sakura flowers.
Soak in clean water for 2 hours and pat dry.

Sakura Summer Rolls (makes 6 rolls)

6 rice paper
6 prepared pickled sakura flowers
6 imitation crab sticks
6 slices of avocado
6 leaves of butterhead lettuce
12 pieces of spring onions, cut into 2 inches length
Japanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 med carrot, shredded
6 tiger prawns, blanched and sliced in half
Fish roe (optional)
Warm water to soften rice paper

Dip rice paper in warm water to soften.

Lay rice paper on work surface, I used my large cutting board.

Build your summer roll starting on the bottom of the rice paper with lettuce, carrot, crab, avocado, cucumber, spring onions.

On the top of the rice paper, place sakura flower, and sliced prawn.

Gently but firmly roll the rice paper from the bottom.

Once you’ve made the first roll, fold in the sides and continue rolling.

Serve immediately with Carrot Miso Ginger Sauce.

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Bon appetit!!