Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients : Serves 4-6

• 110 g: Rice vermicelli (yields 2 1/4 cups)
• 225 g: Lean pork
• 2: Spring onions (scallions)
• 225 g: Large shrimps
• 1: Cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1: Carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 sprigs: Fresh coriander (cilantro), coarsely chopped
• 6: Large butterhead lettuce leaves, steam ends removed and halved
• 12 sheets: Rice paper
• 725 ml: Peanut dipping sauce

Directions :

• Soak the noodles in cold water for 20 minutes.
• Blanch in boiling water, then rinse under cold water.
• Drain well and set aside on a plate.
• Meanwhile, to cook the pork, heat a saucepan of water and bring to boil over medium heat.
• Add the pork and spring onions and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the pork from the water, and when it is cool enough to handle, slice it into strips 5 x 2 1/2 x 1/3 cm. Set aside on a serving plate.
• Using the same pot of water, return ot a rolling boil and cook the shrimps for 3 minutes or until cooked.
• Remove and cool in iced water, peel and cut in half lengthways. Set aside with the pork. Discard the spring onion.
• Arrange the cucumber, carrot, fresh coriander and lettuce leaves attractively on a big platter.
• Sprinkle 2 sheets rice paper at a time with water and when each softens and is pliable, place a piece of lettuce on the bottom third of the rice paper. Put 1 piece pork, 1 small clump noodles and pieces of cucumber and carrot on top.
• Fold the bottom portion over the filling, fold in the right and left sides, and roll the wrapper one more time so that it is two-thirds rolled.
• Place 2 halves of shrimp end to end along the top of the roll and place several fresh coriander leaves on top.
• Roll the wrapper tightly until the edges seal shut. Place the finished rolls on a plate and cover with a damp towel to keep them moist until serving time.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Ingredients: Serves 4-5

• 175 g: Bean thread vermicelli
• 4: Dried Chinese mushrooms or 6 button mushrooms
• 1 piece: Light or yellow wood ear fungus
• 1 piece: Black wood ear fungus
• 1 small: Can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 2 cloves: Garlic, minced
• 2: Carrots, grated
• 2: Onions, grated
• 15 ml: Nuoc Mam sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon: Black pepper
• 1: Egg, beaten
• 1 packet: Round Banh Trang rice paper
• To Serve
• 1: Webb or round lettuce
• A few sprigs: Coriander
• A few sprigs: Mint
• ½: Cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks slices
• Nuoc Mam dipping sauce

Directions:

• Soak the vermicelli in boiled water, slightly cooled, until soft. Drain thoroughly. Use kitchen scissors to cut into shorter strands.
• Soak the Chinese mushrooms and the light and black wood ear fungus in boiled water, slightly cooled. When soft drain thoroughly, gently squeezing out any excess water. Cut finely. If using button mushrooms, wash, drain and chop finely.
• Place the vermicelli, water chestnuts, garlic, carrot, onion, light and black wood ear fungus, Nuoc Mam sauce, black pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl.
• With your hands, mix and knead the mixture until it is stiff enough to be shaped. Follow the same method to make and fry the rolls as for Vietnamese Spring Rolls.
• Place the rolls in the centre of a lettuce leaf with some mint, coriander and cucumber. Roll up and dip into the sauce while still hot.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ingredients: Makes 20 rolls

• 20 – 25: Rice paper wrappers (some may be broken)
• 310 g: Ground chicken (or half crabmeat, half ground pork)
• 20 g: Green bean thread vermicelli
• 1: Carrot, cut into thin strips
• ¼: Cabbage, cut into fine strips
• 2: Green onions (scallions), minced
• 5 g: Sugar
• 2.5 g: Salt
• 2.5: White pepper
• 15 ml: Oyster sauce
• 3 cloves: Garlic, minced
• 45 ml: Vegetable oil (extra oil may be required for deep frying)
• 1: Egg

Garnishing

• 1 sprig: Lettuce leaves
• 1 sprig: Mint leaves

Ingredients:

• In hot water, soak vermicelli for 5 minutes until soft. Drain, cut into 2 in lengths and reserve.
• Add 3 tablespoons oil to wok or pan. Add garlic and chicken (or crabmeat and pork) and cook about 8 minutes, mashing with a fork so they do not clump together.
• Add cabbage, carrot, green onions (scallions) and vermicelli to cook on high for about 3 minutes until vegetables soften.
• Turn off heat, add salt, sugar, pepper and oyster sauce. Stir to mix well. When mixture is cool, brush each side of the rice wrappers or dip them hot water to moisten them or they will dry and break.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each wrapper, turn sides in first, roll and seal each with beaten egg. Refrigerate until needed.
• Heat extra oil in wok or pan. Deep fry rolls until golden.
• Serve on lettuce leaves garnished with lettuce and mint leaves.
• Serve with bottled sweet chili pepper sauce or nuoc cham sauce.