A traditional Vietnamese snack, these are becoming very popular with health conscious. Westerners as a low-fat version of fried spring rolls. The filling is based on cooked ingredients, but the fresh herbs and dipping sauce are the same.
Image: blog.foodnchef.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/saigonatstanley_rcp-684×1024-2-940×1410.jpg
Makes 8-10
Filling
- 250 g (8 oz) small raw prawns in their shells
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 250 g (8 oz) pork fillet
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- a few garlic chives
- coriander sprigs
- mint or Vietnamese mint (rau ram)
- lettuce leaf
- rice paper rounds
- lettuce leaves
- Nuoc Cham
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To make the Filling, cook the prawns in a shallow pan with the water, vinegar and salt. Cool and peel. Brown the pork fillet in the oil in another pan. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds, then add the liquid the prawns were cooked in, the fish sauce and sugar. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the pork is tender and the liquid is almost completely reduced. Cool and cut the pork into fine slices. Arrange the pork, prawns, garlic chives, coriander and mint on a platter. To eat, dip the dried rice paper rounds in tepid water for a few seconds until pliable. Fill each with prawns, pork, 1Ð2 garlic chives, a sprig of coriander and mint, then roll up. Wrap in a lettuce leaf and dip in Nuoc Cham. Note: If liked, 100 g (3½ oz) rice vermicelli, cooked and drained, may be placed on the platter with pork and prawns. A small amount is added to the filling before rolling.