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Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. Ground Pork
  • 3 oz. Crab Meat
  • 4 oz. Minced Shrimp/Prawns
  • 3 oz. Finely Chopped Mushrooms*
  • 4 oz. Finely Grated Taro or Jicama or Sweet Potato (about ½ cup)
  • 1 ½ tsp Chicken Powder
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp Ground Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Finely Diced Shallots
  • 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Spring/Green Onions
  • 2–3 Egg Yolks (from large eggs)
  • 12 Rice Paper Round Sheets each 6” to 7” in diameter**
  • Liquid to moisten rice paper***
  • Cooking Oil for deep frying
  • Butter Lettuce Leaves, Fresh Herbs (mint, basil)
  • 1 oz. Cellophane Rice Noodles (soaked in hot water until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes, drained)

Instructions

Prep:

  1. In a bowl, mix pork, crab meat, shrimp, mushrooms and taro (or jicama or sweet potato).

  2. Add the chicken powder, sugar, ground pepper, shallots, and spring onions.

  3. Add egg yolks one at a time and if the third yolk is needed because the mixture is dry, add it and mix well.

  4. Divide mixture into 12 portions.

  5. If you can find the Vietnamese netted rice paper, just moisten the top of it with a bit of liquid (here you have a choice: fresh coconut juice or beer or a mixture of water and a bit of sugar or beer and a bit of sugar) using your finger to spread it on the rice paper.

  6. If you are using the firm rice papers, you will need to immerse the rice paper for a few seconds into a bowl of lukewarm water to soften and make it pliable, shake off excess water and pat dry on a paper towel.

  7. Place a single rice paper on your work surface.

  8. Fold the edge closest to you about 1 inch towards the centre.

  9. Place one part of the mixture on the centre space that is folded and shape mixture to a length of two to three inches.

  10. Fold the left and right side of the rice paper into the centre, making the top end a bit narrower than the spring roll and roll up tightly from the bottom edge away to the far end.

  11. Repeat to complete all of the spring rolls.

  12. Cover with a towel to prevent rice paper from drying out.

Cook:

  1. In a frying pan or saucepan, heat up enough oil to deep fat fry the spring rolls (oil should be at least two inches deep in the pan).

  2. Once the oil is hot, cook the spring rolls to fill the pan and allow five to seven minutes to cook, until golden brown and turning the spring rolls occasionally, so they brown evenly.

  3. Remove from pan, place on plate with paper towels to drain.

  4. On serving dish arrange the spring rolls with the fresh greens, cellophane noodles and dipping sauce.

  5. To eat, wrap a spring roll in fresh greens with a pinch of cellophane noodles.