Vietnamese Fresh Paper Rolls Recipes

VIETNAMESE FRESH SPRING ROLLS (GOI CUON)

Steps:

• Parboil the pork for a minute, discard the liquid. After that, bring water to a boil in a clean pot, add ginger, salt and the pork. Skim off any foam. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and place the lid slightly askew. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the pork is just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl with iced water to stop the cooking.
• Bring plenty of water to a boil and add the shrimp. Poach for about 2 minutes until they are just cooked through. Put them in a bowl with iced water immediately.
• Slice the pork as thinly as you can. Peel off the shrimp shells and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise (remove the veins if needed).
• Set up a work station with all ingredients to make the spring rolls and a plate/bowl with clean water. Briefly dip one rice paper wrapper into the plate with water to wet it just enough to make it pliable and then lay flat.
• Add a layer of lettuce, fresh herbs and vermicelli noodles. Fold left and right corners of the rice paper over the filling.
• Place a couple of pork slices right above the veggies and noodles (about the middle of the rice paper) and place two of the shrimp halves above the pork slices (about the top part of the rice paper). Then roll it up away from you. Place on a serving plate with the shrimp side up.
• Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce. Recipes for two types of dipping sauce are in the Notes below.

VIETNAMESE FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook the rice noodles according to their package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Mis en place. Get all your roll ingredients chopped and ready before you start on the rolls.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip a rice paper wrapper in the bowl, just long enough to cover the entire surface (both sides) with water. (No more than 3-5 seconds.) Place the moistened wrapper on a clean, damp tea towel.
• Layer your ingredients on the third of the wrapper closest to you, starting with a piece of a lettuce leaf, followed by carrot sticks, a few leaves of each herb, some rice noodles, and a little pork.
• After layering your ingredients, you will begin to roll by picking up the edge closest to you and pulling it gently over the filling. Use your fingers to tuck the ingredients under the rice paper, pulling them gently towards you as you bring the paper's edge over. Continue to roll away from you. Once you wrap the roll one full rotation, you will notice that the rice paper begins to stick to itself, sealing the ingredients inside and making it very easy to roll. For the shrimp and pork rolls, we like to add the shrimp over top of the lettuce after wrapping the roll one full rotation. This gives the shrimp slices that nice and vibrant, pop-out-at-you, effect.
• After adding the shrimp, continue wrapping the roll until your lettuce/shrimp side is face down. (You should be about 2/3 of the way through your rice paper by now.) Fold the sides in and continue rolling away from you until all the rice paper has been used.
• Serve immediately with Hoisin sauce for dipping. Or, wrap each roll in a lightly damp paper towel and store in an airtight container for up to 12 hours.

VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS RECIPE

Steps:

• To begin making Vietnamese Rice paper rolls recipe, first prepare the rice vermicelli noodles as per package instructions, drain and cool. Get prep with all the veggies required as well.
• While the vermicelli noodles are cooked, you can prepare the dipping sauce for Vietnamese Rice paper rolls recipe. Place the chillies, ginger, garlic, salt in a mortar and pestle and crush lightly.
• Add the crushed chilli mixture and all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and keep aside till the Rice paper rolls are ready to serve
• Keep a shallow pan/skillet half-filled with warm water.
• Dip one rice paper in water for 10-20 seconds or till just soft and place on a kitchen towel. Dab off the excess water and place it on a flat surface.
• Place 1-2 pieces of lettuce on the bottom third of the rice paper.
• Top with some coriander leaves, mint leaves, and holy basil leaves, if using.
• Layer some noodles above this and then place 1-2 sticks of carrot and cucumber.
• Fold over the bottom of the rice paper roll on the filling, tuck in the sides and roll tightly till it is closed. Place on a platter with the seam side down.
• Repeat this for the rest of the rice papers.
• Serve Vietnamese Rice paper rolls with the Peanut Chilli Dipping Sauce Recipe along with the Banh It Tran (Vietnamese Mung Bean Dumpling) Recipe.

VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS (SPRING ROLLS)

Steps:

• Peanut Sauce: Combine the Peanut Dipping Sauce ingredients. Mix briefly (it won't come together), then microwave for 30 seconds. Mix again until smooth. Set aside to cool. Adjust sour with vinegar, salt with salt and spiciness to taste. Thickness can be adjusted with milk or water once cooled.
• Place vermicelli noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water for 2 minutes, then drain (or follow packet instructions).
• Peel the prawns, slice in half lengthwise and devein (watch video).
• Remove the crunchy core of the lettuce leaves (watch video).
• Tip - LETTUCE BUNDLE (Note 4): Place some vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts in a lettuce leaf, then roll it up, finishing seam side down. Repeat.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water. The bowl doesn't need to be large enough to fit the whole rice paper in one go.
• Place two rice papers together (if using 2). Note which side is the smooth side - this is supposed to be the outside of the spring roll. Submerge the rice papers into the water (both of them at the same time, together) for 2 seconds. If your bowl isn't large enough to fit the whole rice paper in one go, that's fine, just rotate it and count 2 seconds for each section you submerge into the water.
• Place both the rice papers (one on top of the other, they will stick together) on a board or the counter with the smooth side down.
• On the top part of the rice paper, place 3 prawns with a mint leaf in between, as per the photo below.
• Place the lettuce bundle with the seam side down onto the middle of the rice paper.
• Fold the left and right edges of the rice paper in, then starting from the bottom, roll up to cover the lettuce bundle. Then keep rolling firmly. The rice paper is sticky, it will seal itself.
• If you placed the ingredients on the rice paper as per the photo below, your rice paper rolls should look pretty with the prawn and mint leaves on the smooth side of the roll and the seam on the side or underside of the roll.
• Serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce.

VIETNAMESE FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.
• In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
• Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.

VIETNAMESE FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the warm water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll up the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.
• In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
• Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.