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Fresh Summer Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)

By Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen

Fresh Summer Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)
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 aromatic mixed herbs (fish mint, mint, perilla, Vietnamese basil, coriander, Vietnamese balm, spearmint) might be challenging outside Vietnam, their combination is crucial for these Fresh Summer Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn). Each herb plays its part in building the layers of flavour that make this dish complete.

Dip your fresh summer rolls with your chosen dipping sauce.

Makes 15 rolls (Serves 4-5)

Ingredients

  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. Slice the pork belly thinly, against the grain (see note), then set aside.
  3. Bring a pot of water to the boil.
  4. Cook the prawns (shrimp) in the boiling water until pink, about 7 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of iced water. When cooked, transfer the prawns to the iced water to stop them cooking any further (shock).
  6. Peel and devein the prawns, then slice each prawn in half-length ways. Pat dry with paper towels.
  7. Sort the herbs into individual piles and prepare a bowl of room temperature water.
  8. 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.
  9. Dip your fresh summer rolls with your chosen dipping sauce.

Smart Tip:

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.

 

Recipe extract from by Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen. Food imagery credit: Pham Bich Phuong. Available now from www.phaidon.com

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