Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 lb. medium-sized shrimp, cooked and cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 lb. pork leg, cooked and sliced thinly
- 1 pack rice paper (banh trang)
- 1 pack rice vermicelli noodles, the starchless variety
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup trimmed bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup pickled carrot (recipe follows)
- 1/2 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 (1/2 cup) rice wine vinegar
- 60ml (1/4 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 (1/2 cup) rice wine vinegar
- 60ml (1/4 cup) water
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ***
- Nuoc Cham dipping sauce:
- 60ml (1/4 cup) water
- 60ml (1/4 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
- 1/2 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
- 1/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon top-quality fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- 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.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
