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Rice paper wrappers are a pantry secret weapon. The dry disks soften up quickly in warm water and become pliable like a dumpling wrapper and you can fold up all sorts of fillings within. You may be familiar with them in the form of Vietnamese summer rolls which are filled with fresh herbs, veggies, and grilled protein, then served cold. However, if you fry those rice paper rolls in a little oil, the outer layer becomes crispy with a satisfying chew beneath.
For the holidays, I’ve taken this technique and applied it to the always delicious flavor combo of Brie and cranberry (usually served at seasonal parties in puff pastry cups). By wrapping this festive combo up in rice paper and frying until crispy outside and gooey within, we’ve got a fun twist on the holiday classic.
The most important part of this recipe is to dip the rice paper wrappers in warm water (not hot!). You only need to submerge each one for a few seconds so that it softens slightly. Once you lift it from the water, it should still feel a little rigid. It’ll continue soaking up any water left on its surface and will become fully softened by the time you’ve filled and wrapped it. If the rice paper wrapper is soaked too long, it tends to stick to itself and becomes difficult to wrap any filling neatly.
When frying these up, I found it’s best to go on a medium heat as this gives them enough time for the Brie filling to melt before the outside burns. You may find that a few parcels gain small tears as they fry, meaning the cranberry sauce will start to ooze out. If this happens, don’t worry: The tear usually isn’t noticeable once they’re plated up! Just wipe out the pan before you fry the next batch.
If you’re prepping these ahead of time, follow the recipe up to step 8. Keep the parcels on the lightly greased tray, brush their tops with a little vegetable oil, and then cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to fry them (up to 5 hours), then uncover and continue with the recipe as usual.