Steamed Prawn in Rice Paper Rolls (猪肠粉) 🇨🇳

Social media is full of food 'hacks' these days, a lot of which I don't think much of, but this one creating my favourite dim sum treat of steamed prawn rolls is quite clever.  Who can resist those plump juicy prawns, wrapped in soft, silky rice flour sheets, steamed to perfection at the Chinese tea house?  By using ready-made rice paper as wrappers, you skip making the rice flour sheets from scratch which saves time and effort.  The prawns are steamed in the same simple delicious way, showcasing their sweet taste.  A drizzle of warm soy sauce mixture on top and they are ready to be devoured. 

Makes 3 

INGREDIENTS

• 12 medium size prawns 
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• a dash of white pepper
• 3 sheets of rice paper (22cm /  8½" in size)
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• a few coriander leaves, for garnishing

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons water

EQUIPMENT

You'll need a 23cm /9" heatproof dish and a bamboo steamer basket slightly bigger than your heatproof dish (25cm /10" in size), which is available from Asian stores and online.  Otherwise, follow instructions here for other ways to set up a steaming station.  

METHOD

1. Remove heads and shells from prawns.  Make a slit on the back of each prawn to expose and remove the vein, which also helps them to open up and cook quickly.  In a bowl, mix prawn meat with cornflour, sesame oil and white pepper.
2. Brush a heatproof dish with oil and place the dish in a steamer basket.
3. Dip one sheet of rice paper in a bowl of warm water for about 10 seconds to moisten.  Once soft, lay out on a work surface.
4. Place 4 prawns across the bottom half of the rice paper.  Fold it upward, then fold in the sides, and then upward again into a parcel.  Place the roll on the oiled heatproof dish.  Repeat Step 3 and 4 with the remaining prawns and rice papers.  Allow a small gap between each roll as you arrange them in the dish so they don't stick together.
5. Fill a wok with water to a depth of about 4 cm / 1½" and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.   Once boiling, place bamboo steamer on top and steam, covered, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes or until the prawns are fully cooked.
6. While the rolls are steaming, combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Stir to dissolve sugar and warm through over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
7. When the rolls are ready, drizzle the sauce all over.  Garnish with coriander leaves.  With a clean pair of kitchen scissors, cut each roll across in half.  Serve immediately.