Gỏi Cuốn

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls.

• Rice paper
• Boiled pork, sliced thin. Use the broth for another dish.
• Shrimp, not large, cooked, peeled, deveined, and cut in half lengthwise along the back.
• Rice noodles (thin), cooked, drained, and rinsed cool.
• Vegetables, e.g. lettuce, perilla, thai basil, mint, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, etc.
• For the sauce:
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Peanut butter
  • Water
  • Opt: Garlic, chili sauce, crushed peanuts, fried shallot

Prepare the pork, shrimp, noodles, and vegetables. Make sure to halve the shrimp and prune the vegetables so that nothing will poke through the wrapper.

Briefly dip the rice paper in water, so that it becomes pliable but not sticky as it hydrates while you wrap. Arrange the fillings in a way that looks attractive through the clear wrapper, especially making it so that the good side of the shrimp is visible on the outside. Tightly wrap it like a skinny burrito. Serve with the sauce.

If preparing for later, let it sit for a bit as you make them and then individually wrap them in plastic wrap. Do not refrigerate once made.

Variations: Try different combinations of meat, vegetables, and other fillings.