If you’re looking for appetiser or party food ideas, my take on the Vietnamese classic is a total people-pleaser! Add a killer dipping sauce and you’re ready to roll.
20 x 22cm diameter dried rice paper wrappers
1 tbsp sugar
vegetable oil for deep frying
lettuce leaves to serve
mint leaves to serve
Pork & prawn filling:
80g (2.8 oz) dried glass noodles
200g (7 oz) peeled, deveined and finely chopped prawns
250g (9 oz) pork mince
3 Asian shallots, finely chopped
1 egg
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Nuoc cham dipping sauce:
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
For the nuoc cham, whisk together the ingredients and set aside until ready to serve.
To make the filling, soak the glass noodles in hot water for about 2 minutes or until just softened. Drain well and rinse in cold water to stop the noodles from cooking further. Drain well and place onto a clean tea towel. Twist the tea towel around the noodles to extract as much water as possible. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Use scissors to cut the noodles into short lengths.
To the noodles, add the prawns, pork mince, shallots, egg, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and salt. Mix until well combined.
Place a clean tea towel on your benchtop.
In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of warm water with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Dip a rice paper wrapper into the sugar water and submerge it for only a couple of seconds before putting it onto the tea towel. Place 2 heaped tablespoons of the filling onto the bottom half of the wrapper. Shape the filling into a cylinder shape. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and squeeze to expel any air. Fold in the sides and then roll up into a cylinder shape. Place on a tray lined with paper towel. Repeat until all the filling is used.
Place the tray of spring rolls into the fridge uncovered for 30 minutes.
Fill a saucepan or wok to about 1/3 capacity with the vegetable oil. Heat over high heat. Once the oil is hot (325°F or 165°C or when a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms small little bubbles) cook spring rolls until golden and blistered. Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve with the nuoc cham dipping sauce and use the lettuce leaves to wrap up the spring rolls along with a few mint leaves.
