Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls
Guest Chef Recipe
You might find the first few wraps a bit of a fiddle, as the rice paper is delicate. Be brave but gentle and you’ll soon get into a rhythm. The filling is fresh, crisp and fragrant. All the seasoning and kick comes from the dipping sauce. There are plenty of protein-rich bean and seed sprouts available beyond your basic bean and alfalfa. Try radish, lentil, chickpea or broccoli sprouts, which can be bought in colourful mixed packs, too.
Ingredients:
For the rolls
- 50g vermicelli rice noodles
- 8 good-sized leaves from a little gem lettuce (double up the leaves if some are too small)
- 1 carrot, sliced into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
- ½ cucumber, sliced into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- Small bunch of mint
- Small bunch of coriander
- Small bunch of basil
- 60g mixed bean sprouts and seed sprouts
- 30g salted peanuts, chopped
- 8 rice paper wrappers
For the dipping sauce
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- Lime juice, to taste
Method:
- Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Steep according to packet instructions, until just cooked through. Drain and cool immediately under running cold water. Keep to one side.
- Fill the lettuce leaves with a mix of noodles, veg, herbs and sprouts. Finish with a sprinkle of peanuts. Set aside.
- Fill a bowl with boiling water. Soak 1 rice paper wrapper in the water for about 10 seconds, until it becomes pliant. Lay it on a clean tea towel (they tend to stick to work surfaces) and sit a packed leaf horizontally on top. Fold in the bottom and sides of the wrapper, then roll it up like a cigar. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and packed leaves.
- In a separate bowl, mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together, adding lime juice to your taste.
- Serve the rolls whole or cut in half at an angle to reveal your meticulous and artistic packing, with the dipping sauce on the side. Dip and dine.
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