The Hirshon Vietnamese Spring Rolls – Gỏi Cuốn

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Gỏi Cuốn Image Used Under Creative Commons License From kimkhanhcreations.blogspot.com

Citizens, Gỏi cuốn or Vietnamese spring rolls are a classic Vietnamese dish traditionally consisting of pork, prawn, vegetables, bún (rice vermicelli), and other ingredients wrapped in Vietnamese bánh tráng (commonly known as rice paper).

They also are one of TFD’s favorite snacks, epitomizing all that is light and intensely flavorful in Viet cuisine.

While made in the same form as Chinese spring rolls, the ingredients are very different and it is served fresh, while spring and egg rolls are served fried.

They are served at room temperature (or cooled) and are not deep fried or cooked on the outside. They also happen to be listed at number 30 on the World’s 50 most delicious foods list complied by CNN Go in 2011.

Fresh gỏi cuốn have gained popularity among Vietnam’s neighboring countries and in the western hemisphere as well. These rolls are considered to be a very popular appetizer with customers in Vietnamese restaurants.

Citizens, this is a classic Viet recipe that I hope you will try for yourselves!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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½ lb. medium-sized shrimp, cooked and cut in half lengthwise
½ lb. pork leg, cooked and sliced thinly
1 pack rice paper (banh trang)
1 pack rice vermicelli noodles, the starchless variety
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
⅓ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup trimmed bean sprouts
½ cup pickled carrot (recipe follows)
½ cup pickled cucumber (recipe follows)
16 fresh mint leaves
16 fresh coriander sprigs
16 fresh garlic chives, cut into lengths

Nuoc leo (peanut sauce) and nuoc cham (dipping sauce), to serve (recipes follow)

Pickled carrot:

4 large carrots, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
125ml (½ cup) rice wine vinegar
60ml (¼ cup) water
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 red birdseye chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Pickled cucumber:

4 Asian cucumbers, ends trimmed, halved lengthways, thinly sliced diagonally
125ml (½ cup) rice wine vinegar
60ml (¼ cup) water
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt

Nuoc Cham dipping sauce:

60ml (¼ cup) water
60ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
2 tbs fresh lime juice
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs finely chopped palm sugar (preferred) or use light brown sugar
½ stem lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped
2 fresh red jalapeño or Fresno chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed

Nuoc Leo (peanut dipping sauce):

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 or more bird’s eye or Thai chilies,
seeded and minced
3 ounces unsalted roasted peanuts, 1 tablespoon chopped, the rest finely ground (don’t let it turn into peanut butter!)
1 cup chicken stock
⅓ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon top-quality fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar

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Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Drain and add salt and sugar – mix thoroughly.

Soak 1 rice-paper sheet in warm water for 30 seconds or until soft (don’t soak the sheet for too long or it will tear). Drain on paper towel. Place on a clean work surface.

Place 2 prawns along center of sheet, along with some pork slices. Add some of the noodles, peanuts, bean sprouts, pickled carrot and pickled cucumber. Top with 1 mint leaf and 1 coriander sprig. Fold in ends and top with 1 garlic chive. Roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat to make 16 rice-paper rolls.

Serve with nuoc leo (peanut sauce) and nuoc cham (dipping sauce) dipping sauces.

Pickled carrot:

Combine the carrot, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, chilli and garlic in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 6 hours or overnight to develop the flavors.

Pickled cucumber:

Combine the cucumber, vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 6 hours overnight to develop the flavors.

Nuoc Cham dipping sauce:

Combine the water, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, palm sugar, lemon grass, chilli and garlic in a jug and stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve.

Nuoc Leo dipping sauce:

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir-fry the garlic and chilies until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the ground peanuts and stir until they give up some of their natural oil, about 5 minutes more.

Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and sugar, and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the oil from the peanuts starts surfacing, about 15 minutes. Transfer sauce to a heatproof serving bowl, garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve.