{"id":1875,"date":"2015-05-25T09:17:31","date_gmt":"2015-05-25T08:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=1875"},"modified":"2015-05-25T09:32:57","modified_gmt":"2015-05-25T08:32:57","slug":"vietnamese-style-fresh-spring-rolls-with-peanut-dipping-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=1875","title":{"rendered":"Vietnamese Style Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image_pdf\"<\/a>\"image_print\"<\/a><\/div>

Fresh Vietnamese style spring rolls scream summer-time to me and the late May Bank Holiday weekend feels like the start of summer. \u00a0This year is somewhat blighted by exams, but that’s all the more reason to take pleasure in food.<\/p>\n

They’re fiddly to make, so they’re the kind of thing to make when you feel like pottering in the kitchen. \u00a0Don’t make it a chore. \u00a0I put a bottle of dry white wine in the fridge and turned on my latest audible.co.uk purchase.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Without the peanut based dipping sauce they’re not even a guilty pleasure and two of my brood, quite genuinely, prefer them that way.<\/p>\n

\"Vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Ethical prawns are fairly difficult to get hold of. \u00a0Personally, I avoid tropical prawns, both farmed and wild. \u00a0I watched a TV documentary and that was that.<\/p>\n

Atlantic prawns are expensive and, for some reason, I can only find them peeled. \u00a0You’d think that if you buy ready peeled raw prawns they’d also be de-veined, but they’re not.<\/p>\n

\"Vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s easy to do. \u00a0Cut along the back line and lift it out with the point of your knife. \u00a0Bit gruesome but what you’re removing is the dirt sack. \u00a0If you cook it with it still in place it will taste ‘gritty’.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m using a little over 300g.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

If I had them in their shells, I’d dry fry them. \u00a0Like this, I poach them. \u00a0You need about 3 litres\/5 pints of fresh water. \u00a0Bring to the boil and add 2 teaspoons of salt. \u00a0Reduce the heat to medium.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Simmer for about 2-3 minutes. \u00a0They start turning pink almost immediately – and they take far less time to cook than you would ever imagine. \u00a0Don’t over do. \u00a0Over-cooked prawns taste rubbery.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

When they’re pink, remove from the water with a slotted spoon. \u00a0Don’t drain the water away because you’re going to use it for the pork.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

The same weight of pork shoulder. You don’t have to be exact. \u00a0This is a fairly fatty cut, but everything else is so utterly lean …<\/p>\n

It’ll take about 20-25 minutes. \u00a0A longer and thinner piece will take less time than a shorter fatter bit. \u00a0You need to cook to an internal temperature of 62\u00baC\/145\u00baF.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Whilst the pork is cooking, slice the prawns in half. \u00a0Firstly, it makes an expensive ingredient go further. \u00a0Secondly, I prefer it. \u00a0Cut lengthwise and the end result will be much prettier.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

My poached pork looks anaemic. \u00a0Trust me. \u00a0A really sharp knife and the patience of a saint is what is needed here.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

As soon as it’s cool enough, slice thinly.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Rice vermicelli noodles are embarrassingly easy to prepare. \u00a0Put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. \u00a0Add 1tsp of salt and, contrary to the packet instructions, leave them for 4 minutes. \u00a0You are looking for ‘al dente’. \u00a0That’s cooked through but with enough resistance to feel you’re biting something.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Rinse in cold water – and drain thoroughly.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Thinly slice cucumber. \u00a0There’s no need to peel or de-seed, but you want them about finger-length. \u00a0Soft lettuce, washed and torn into useable sized pieces. \u00a0Mint sprigs, leaves picked. \u00a0Coriander, leaves picked.<\/p>\n

You’ve got other tasty options. \u00a0Grated carrot, thai basil, peanuts .. \u00a0Get it all laid out in a production line kind of thing. \u00a0It makes everything so much easier.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

I like this bit. \u00a0Disregard the packet instructions. \u00a0I get out a big flat white plate and fill my Sophie Conran Roasting Dish (you want something shallow and large enough to lay a rice paper wrapper flat) with warm tap water. \u00a0Zero fuss.<\/p>\n

I find the rice paper wrappers crack if they are left exposed to air. \u00a0So have a clean tea-towel to one side and flick them over your unused pile while you are working on the first one.<\/p>\n

Dunk the wrapper in the water. \u00a0It’ll immediately start to soften. \u00a0It’s quick. \u00a0Pull it out before it’s ready to roll because they carry on softening out of the water. \u00a0By the time you’ve got it laid out on your plate it’ll be perfectly rollable.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, it’s the pretty stuff. \u00a0Arrange a few mint leaves on the top third of the wrapper, leaving an inch either size. \u00a0A few coriander leaves.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Some soft lettuce.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

The thinly sliced cucumber.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

A straggle of vermicelli noodles. \u00a0And then the pork and prawns. \u00a0Rather than pile everything up burrito style, it’s far simpler to roll if you tuck the pork slices up against the pile of ‘salad’ and the halved prawns in front of that. \u00a0With the prawns, keep the cut side uppermost. \u00a0That’ll mean your end result will look pretty!<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

The first roll needs to be tight. \u00a0Tuck all that lovely crunch firmly inside the rice paper.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Then the sides. \u00a0Fold the sides over to stop everything falling out. \u00a0The rice paper wrappers are ‘sticky’ so this is far easier than I’m making it sound. \u00a0Then roll to the end.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Et voil\u00e0!<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

My top tip – don’t stack these. \u00a0They’re still sticky. \u00a0If you want to store these for any length of time – lay them in a single layer, cover with some large lettuce leaves, cling-wrap and pop into the fridge.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Now the dipping sauce. \u00a0Have everything ready – that’s sunflower oil, microplaned garlic, water, sugar, hoisin sauce and smooth peanut butter. \u00a0This is super-quick.<\/p>\n

Over a medium heat, cook the microplaned garlic in 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil. \u00a0You want to cook out the raw-ness, but make sure it doesn’t catch. \u00a0Add the water and sugar.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then it’s the Hoisin Sauce.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

And the smooth peanut butter.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Give everything a stir.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Miraculously, it becomes smooth.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

And, that’s it. \u00a0Pour into your dipping bowls. \u00a0A few lightly chopped roasted peanuts sprinkled on the top is a good indicator there are peanuts involved. \u00a0If I’m serving these at a platter, I cut my spring rolls in three. \u00a0No double-dipping in my kitchen!<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a><\/p>\n

Eat.<\/p>\n

\"vietnemese<\/a>Vietnamese Style Fresh Spring Rolls<\/strong><\/p>\n

Makes 20<\/em><\/p>\n

For the Spring Rolls:<\/em><\/p>\n