Vietnamese Spring Rolls

(Cha Gio)

1 serving

Ingredients

FILLING
• 2 oz Cellophane noodles, -soaked in warm water for -20 minutes, then drained -and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 lb Ground pork
• 1 lg Onion, finely chopped
• 2 tb Tree ears, soaked in warm -water for 30 minutes, then -drained and finely chopped
• 3 Cloves garlic, finely -chopped
• 3 Shallots or white part of 3 -scallions, finely chopped
• 1 cn (7 ounces) crabmeat, -cartilage removed and meat -flaked with fingers
• 1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper
  PREPARATIONS FOR ASSEMBLING
• 20 Sheets dried rice papers -(banh trang)
• 4 Eggs, well beaten
• 2 c Peanut oil
  ACCOMPANIMENTS FOR SERVING
• Basic Vegetable Platter
• Carrot Salad
• Double recipe of Nuoc Cham

Directions

Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Cut a round rice paper sheet into quarters. Place the cut rice paper on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, paint the beaten egg over the entire surface of each of the pieces. Before filling, wait for the egg mixture to take effect, softening the wrappers; this takes about 2 minutes. When you become adept at this, you can work on several wrappers at a time.

When the wrapper looks soft and transparent, place about 1 teaspoon of filling near the curved side, in the shape of a rectangle. Fold the sides over to enclose the filling and continue to roll.

After filling all the wrappers, pour the oil into a large frying pan, put the spring rolls into the cold oil, turn the heat to moderate, and fry for 20 to 30 minutes, until a lovely golden brown. (This is Bach's special method of keeping spring rolls crisp).

To serve the spring rolls, proceed as follows:

Arrange the ingredients for the vegetable platter (lettuce, mint leaves, coriander, and the cucumber slices) according to the directions preceding. Have ready the carrot salad and a bowl of nuoc cham. Each person has a bowl into which he places a bit of lettuce, 2 or 3 mint leaves, some coriander, and 2 cucumber slices. Each person then adds 1 or 2 spring rolls to his bowl, sprinkles with the nuoc cham, and eats the spring rolls and vegetables together, using chopsticks or a fork.

Additional carrot salad may be added to taste.

Another very popular serving method calls for placing the vegetables on a lettuce leaf, adding the spring roll, and rolling it into a cylinder. Holding the cylinder with his fingers, each diner then dips it into his own small bowl of nuoc cham.

NOTE: We have found that frying the spring rolls in peanut oil keeps them crisper than frying in any other oil.

From "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam", Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman, Barron's, 1979.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients

For Filling:

• 3-4 oz dried thin rice stick noodles
• Boiling water, as needed
• 3/4 lb boneless pork loin, in one piece
• 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For Assembly:

• 12 dried large rice paper rounds, each 8 1/2 inches in diameter
• 12 large red-leaf lettuce leaves or other soft, pliable lettuce, stiff stems discarded
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely julienned, then tossed with 1 teaspoon sugar until softened, about 10 minutes
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and finely julienned
• 12 fresh mint sprigs
• 12 fresh cilantro sprigs, plus extra leaves for filling
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

Prepare the dipping sauce; set aside.

FOR FILLING: Place the noodles in a bowl, and add boiling water to cover. Let stand for 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set aside.

Place the pork in a saucepan, add water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until opaque throughout, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. Cut across the grain into very thin slices about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Set aside.

Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add salt to taste and the shrimp. Boil until they curl slightly and are opaque throughout, 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise, pat dry and set aside.

FOR RICE PAPERS: Dampen several clean kitchen towels with water. Fill a pie plate with cold water. Spread a damp towel on a flat work surface. Dip 1 rice paper round at a time into the water and spread it flat on the towel. Continue dipping and laying the rice papers in a single layer. When you run out of room, lay a damp towel on top of the rounds and continue, always alternating a layer of rice papers with a damp towel. Let the rice papers stand until pliable, about 1 minute or longer.

TO ASSEMBLE: Place 1 pliable rice paper round on the work surface and position a lettuce leaf on the lower third of it, tearing the leaf as needed to make it fit and leaving uncovered a 1-inch border on the right and left edges. Take a small amount (about one-twelfth) of the rice stick noodles and spread in a line across the width of the leaf. Arrange one-twelfth each of the pork slices, carrot and cucumber, and 1 sprig of mint on the noodles. Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper over to cover the ingredients, then roll up tightly one complete turn. Fold in the left and right edges to enclose the filling. Across the top length of the roll, place 1 sprig of cilantro and 2 pieces of shrimp, end to end and cut side down. Finish rolling up the rice paper to contain the shrimp and form a taut spring roll. Set seam-side down on a baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel. Make the remaining rolls in the same way. The rolls may be made several hours in advance; cover with a damp towel and plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Divide the sauce among individual dipping saucers and then divide the peanuts evenly among the saucers. Serve the rolls with the sauce.

Source from : Asia Recipe.com