Cha Gio

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

ingredients

Nuoc cham dipping sauce:
5 1/2 T. sugar
3/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. plus 1 T. Asian fish sauce (preferably from Phu Quoc)
2 T. rice vinegar (not seasoned)
2 t. fresh lime juice (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh Thai chiles (2-3 inches; preferably red; including seeds), thinly sliced crosswise
For spring rolls:
7 1/2 oz. very thin bean thread noodles (in small skeins, also known as cellophane or mung bean noodles)
2 oz. dried wood ear mushrooms
1 med. Shallot
2 cloves garlic
2 c. grated carrots (4-5 carrots)
1 lb. ground pork shoulder
1/4 c. Asian fish sauce
1/4 c. plus 1 t. sugar
2 1/2 t. black pepper
2 t. salt
1 lb. shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
25 (8 oz.) sq. spring roll pastry wrappers – wheat flour
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
About 6 c. vegetable oil
Eq. – a deep-fat thermometer
Accompaniment: lettuce leaves, cilantro leaves, carrot slices

directions

1
Make dipping sauce:
2
Stir together sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients, then chill, covered, at least 2 hours.
3
Prepare filling:
4
Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak, pulling noodles apart and stirring occasionally, 10 min.
5
Drain noodles and cut into 2-3 inch pieces (about 3 cups), then transfer to another large bowl.
6
Put mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak 15 min. Drain and rinse mushrooms thoroughly, then drain again. Trim off and discard any hard parts from mushrooms. Finely chop (about 2 cups). Add to noodles.
7
Pulse shallot and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, then add to noodles along with carrots, pork, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and salt. Pulse shrimp in processor until coarsely ground. (Do not overprocess). Add shrimp to noodle mixture. Mix with your hands until well combined. Chill filling, coverend with plastic wrap, until cold.
8
Assemble rolls:
9
Line 2 trays with wax paper. Transfer 1/4 of filling to a small bowl and keep remainder chilled, covered. Place 1 wrapper on a work surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. If want small appetizer size rolls, cut wrappers diagonally in half to form 2 triangles. With long side of triangle nearest you, put 2 T filling along middle of long edge of triangle and shape filling into a thin 5 in log. Fold left and right corners of wrapper over filling, overlapping slightly and aligning bottom edges . Dab top corner with egg yolk, then roll up wrapper into a roll. Place on tray, seam side down. Repeat. Keep rolls chilled, loosely covered until ready to fry.
10
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in 5-6 qt. pot over moderately high heat until registers 365 degrees. Fry in batch of 4-5 keeping rolls apart during first minute to prevent sticking until golden brown about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a colander lined with paper towels and drain upright 2-3 minutes.
11
Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves.

notes

Rolls can be assembled (but not fried) 1 month ahead and frozen, wrapped well in foil. Thaw in refrigerator before frying. Sauce and filling can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled separately, covered.

Source: Lorna