Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Submitted by Toast

Yield

• 25-30 Very fat spring rolls

Ingredients

Filling

• 8oz Ground Pork
• 1 Carrot (Grated)
• 1/2 bunch of Green Onion (Finely chopped)
• 2 Cloves of Shallot (finely chopped, about 2 TBSP)
• Sriracha Sauce to taste.

Optional:

• Replace meat with Shrimp (or do a mix of ground shrimp/pork)
• Several Cloves of Garlic
• Ginger
• 1/2oz of Dried Fungus or other asian mushroom (remember to soak it in advance)

Seasoning

• 1 tsp Salt
• 2/3 tsp Sugar
• 1/8 tsp White Ground Pepper
• 1 tsp Fish Sauce
• 1 Egg (well beaten)

Rolling

• 1 small package of Rice Vermicelli Noodles (plan to use leftovers for something else or save for later)
• 1 Package of Rice Paper sheets (around 25-30 pieces)

word of advice: always buy two packages of paper, you'll often get one that's really old and extra dry or battered and the paper will have cracks. It will become useless once soaked and you may only get 15 usable sheets.

• Lettuce leaves (optional)
• more carrot (optional)

Dipping Sauce One (tamer)

• 4 TBSP Sugar
• 1.5 TBSP Lime Juice (ideally fresh)
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• 8 TBSP water
• 1.5 TBSP Fish Sauce
• 1 tsp Minced Chili (or Sri Racha if you don't have any)

Dipping Sauce Two

Mostly done to taste, use these as vague guidelines

• 5 TBSP Brown Sugar
• 2 TBSP Lime Juice (ideally fresh)
• 4 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 TBSP Sri Racha (or to taste)
• 2 TBSP Fish Sauce
• Minced Chili to taste
• Grated Carrot
• Green Onion

Oil

• Corn oil deep enough that 2 or 3 rolls can float in it in a wok
• Using Canola is healthier, but rolls will not turn golden (or be quite as nice imo) but you can use it. (Make it with Corn Oil and just have them once in a blue moon imo)

Method

• Soak Rice Vermicelli in cold water for a 1/2 hour or so. Once it's soft, drain then use kitchen scissors and cut it into managable chunks. Set aside for later.

• Prep filling ingredients

• Combine Seasoning Ingredients

• Mix all filling ingredients in a food processor (or throughly mix with a fork but the processor provides a better consistency.)

• Add seasoning to filling mix and pulse.

• Prep some sort of method to soak your rice papers in warm water with a little sugar mixed in. I actually use a lasagna pan normally that allows me to have two soaking at once

• Place a spoonful of filling, some noodles and a little carrot near the bottom of the roll then fold the edge over to cover the filling.

• Next, fold in the sides and seal as best you can before rolling upwards.

• Let them air dry on a lightly greased cookie sheet (the first ones you roll will likely be dry enough to fry by the time you finished rolling the last ones unless you have several helpers)

• Heat oil in a wok until a chopstick inserted in the middle bubbles (or use a deep fryer as you normally would, but I don't have one)

• Fry until golden brown (Note: if you are using Canola oil to be healthier they will not come out as golden brown but don't let them overcook or they will either split or be too crunchy)

• In a wok fry 2 or 3 at a time max depending on wok size.

Serve

• Mix desired dipping sauces while they fry and cool

• Drain well before serving on a lettuce leaf with dipping sauce.

• If you've never had vietnamese spring rolls before they should be big and puffy and crispy. I'll try to have a picture up soon.

Folding Guide

I heartily recommend making a double batch of these and getting someone to help you. I've even done a party where guests can fold their own with their chosen fillings sort of like a burrito bar.

Once you get the hang of it they don't take too long, but I consider them too time consuming to bother except for a double batch (plus I love them)