Vietnamese spring rolls with pork mince and prawns come together in 30 minutes: soak the glass noodles, stir-fry a filling of pork, prawns, mushrooms and bean sprouts, then roll everything in rice paper. Serve them straight away, or give them a quick fry on each side first.
These nems made it into the cookbook for two reasons. The first is that we are mad about Vietnamese cooking, with its pure, fresh flavours. The second is the fun of eating with your hands. Pile them in a bowl, put a few dips next to them and enjoy the easy, unfussy spirit of this street food dish.
This is a medium recipe: nothing is hard, but the rolling takes a little practice. Serves 4, makes 8 rolls.
Ingredients
- 50 g glass noodles, briefly soaked in water
- 1 carrot
- 2 spring onions
- 150 g wild mushrooms
- 15 g mint
- 15 g coriander
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 cm ginger, finely chopped
- 150 g pork mince
- black pepper
- sea salt
- 150 g peeled prawns, cut into small pieces
- 50 g bean sprouts
- 8 rice paper sheets
Method
- Soak the glass noodles in hot water for about 10 minutes, until soft. Drain them and snip them into short pieces of 4 cm.
- Wash the carrot and spring onions thoroughly. Cut the carrot and the green part of the spring onions into thin strips, and the white part of the spring onions into rings. Brush the mushrooms clean and cut them into thin strips. Chop the herbs and keep the chopped coriander stems apart.
- Heat the oil in a wok or pan and gently fry the shallot with the garlic, the ginger, the white of the spring onions and the coriander stems. Add the pork mince and season with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Stir-fry until the mince is almost cooked.
- Add the prawn pieces, the mushrooms and the bean sprouts last and let them fry briefly. Season with pepper and salt and take the pan off the heat.
- Dip a rice paper sheet in warm water for a few seconds, until it turns soft. Lay it on a damp tea towel and spread some glass noodles, mint and coriander over it. Add some strips of vegetables and some of the mince filling, then roll the rice paper once around the filling. Fold in the sides and keep rolling. Repeat with the remaining rice paper sheets.
- Serve the nems straight away, or first fry them briefly on each side over high heat in vegetable oil. Then let them drain on a little kitchen paper.
- Put a few nems in a bowl and serve them with several dips.
Chef's Tip
Try to get Vietnamese mint and coriander from an Asian shop for an authentic result. Scatter the fresh leaves over the soft glass noodles before the strips of vegetables and the warm filling go on, so the green shows through the rice paper once you have rolled it.
FAQ
How long do the glass noodles need to soak?
About 10 minutes in hot water, until they are soft. Drain them, then snip them into short pieces of 4 cm so they sit neatly in the roll.
Do I have to fry Vietnamese spring rolls?
No. You can serve the nems straight after rolling. If you like them fried, give them a short fry on each side over high heat in vegetable oil, then drain them on kitchen paper.
How do I roll rice paper without it tearing?
Dip each sheet in warm water for just a few seconds, until it turns soft. Lay it on a damp tea towel, add the filling, and roll once around it. Fold in the sides, then roll on to the end.
How many spring rolls does this recipe make?
Eight sheets of rice paper give you 8 rolls, enough for 4 people. Prep takes 10 minutes and cooking 20 minutes.
What do I serve with Vietnamese spring rolls?
Put a few nems in a bowl and set out several dips next to it. Chopped mint and coriander also go on the table. Eat them with your hands.
For the table, open a few jars next to the dips. Fabulous Five Spice, hand-blended in Belgium by chefs Chloë and Dax with Szechuan pepper, star anise, cinnamon and orange zest, goes well with this dish. Bird's Eye Chili Flakes and Gochugaru Chili Powder are there for anyone who wants more heat. Cook a batch of nems tonight and add Fabulous Five Spice to your basket before you sit down to eat.
