In Vietnamese markets, you’ll find bundles of rau thơm (aromatic mixed herbs), which are an essential element of Vietnamese dining where fresh herbs accompany most meals. While finding all these herbs might be challenging outside Vietnam, their combination is crucial for these rolls. Each herb plays its part in building the layers of flavour that make this dish complete.
Preparation time: 45 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes |Makes 15 rolls
Ingredients (serves 4-5)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
350 g/12 oz pork belly (side)
310 g/11 oz (about 15) prawns (shrimp)
150 g/5½ oz aromatic mixed herbs (rau thơm – fish mint, mint, perilla, Vietnamese basil, coriander/cilantro, Vietnamese balm, spearmint)
15 rice paper sheets
15 lettuce leaves
75 g/2¾ oz bean sprouts
375 g/13 oz fresh thin rice noodles, at room temperature
30 g/1 oz Chinese chives (lá hẹ)
Dipping Sauce or Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce for Summer Rolls
Method
Combine 900 ml/30 fl oz (3¾ cups) of water with the fish sauce and salt in a large pot, then add the pork belly (side). Bring to a simmer, then cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
Slice the pork belly thinly, against the grain (see notelow), then set aside.
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Cook the prawns (shrimp) in the boiling water until pink, about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of iced water. When cooked, transfer the prawns to the iced water to stop them cooking any further (shock).
Peel and devein the prawns, then slice each prawn in half-length ways. Pat dry with paper towels.
Sort the herbs into individual piles and prepare a bowl of room temperature water.
To assemble each roll, dip the rice paper briefly in the water, then place on a clean surface. When the paper becomes pliable (about 30 seconds), layer next to each other, from the bottom of the paper to the top in the following order: 1 lettuce leaf, 5 bean sprouts, 10–15 aromatic herb leaves, about 25 g/ 1 oz of the rice noodles, sliced pork belly and 2 shrimp halves, pink side down. To roll, fold the bottom edge over the filling, fold in the sides, add 2 Chinese chives, then tightly roll upwards. Place seam side down on a serving platter. Repeat for the remaining rolls.
Dip your fresh summer rolls with your chosen dipping sauce.
Note: To find the direction of the grain in meat, look for the parallel lines of muscle fibre running through the meat – these lines are the ‘grain’. You can see them more clearly on some cuts than others. Think of it like wood grain or the fibres in celery. Cutting against the grain, will make your meat much easier to bite.
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In Vietnamese markets, you’ll find bundles of rau thơm (aromatic mixed herbs), which are an essential element of Vietnamese dining where fresh herbs accompany most meals. While finding all these herbs might be challenging outside Vietnam, their combination is crucial for these rolls. Each herb plays its part in building the layers of flavour that make this dish complete.
Preparation time: 45 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes |Makes 15 rolls
Ingredients (serves 4-5)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
350 g/12 oz pork belly (side)
310 g/11 oz (about 15) prawns (shrimp)
150 g/5½ oz aromatic mixed herbs (rau thơm – fish mint, mint, perilla, Vietnamese basil, coriander/cilantro, Vietnamese balm, spearmint)
15 rice paper sheets
15 lettuce leaves
75 g/2¾ oz bean sprouts
375 g/13 oz fresh thin rice noodles, at room temperature
30 g/1 oz Chinese chives (lá hẹ)
Dipping Sauce or Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce for Summer Rolls
Method
Combine 900 ml/30 fl oz (3¾ cups) of water with the fish sauce and salt in a large pot, then add the pork belly (side). Bring to a simmer, then cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
Slice the pork belly thinly, against the grain (see notelow), then set aside.
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Cook the prawns (shrimp) in the boiling water until pink, about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of iced water. When cooked, transfer the prawns to the iced water to stop them cooking any further (shock).
Peel and devein the prawns, then slice each prawn in half-length ways. Pat dry with paper towels.
Sort the herbs into individual piles and prepare a bowl of room temperature water.
To assemble each roll, dip the rice paper briefly in the water, then place on a clean surface. When the paper becomes pliable (about 30 seconds), layer next to each other, from the bottom of the paper to the top in the following order: 1 lettuce leaf, 5 bean sprouts, 10–15 aromatic herb leaves, about 25 g/ 1 oz of the rice noodles, sliced pork belly and 2 shrimp halves, pink side down. To roll, fold the bottom edge over the filling, fold in the sides, add 2 Chinese chives, then tightly roll upwards. Place seam side down on a serving platter. Repeat for the remaining rolls.
Dip your fresh summer rolls with your chosen dipping sauce.
Note: To find the direction of the grain in meat, look for the parallel lines of muscle fibre running through the meat – these lines are the ‘grain’. You can see them more clearly on some cuts than others. Think of it like wood grain or the fibres in celery. Cutting against the grain, will make your meat much easier to bite.
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