Pork and Rice Vermicelli Spring Rolls

A crisp, deeply golden rice-paper shell gives way to a compact filling of pork, soft rice vermicelli and wood ear mushrooms. Shredded carrot keeps a little bite; the lime, garlic and chilli dipping sauce cuts through with clean acidity.

Instructions

1. Soak the vermicelli and mushrooms

   Soak the vermicelli in warm water until pliable but not mushy. Drain and snip into short lengths. Soak the wood ear mushrooms separately, drain well and chop finely.

2. Mix the filling

   Grate the carrot and finely chop the onion. Combine the pork, vermicelli, mushrooms, carrot, onion, egg, fish sauce and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix until the filling holds together, taking care not to pack it tightly.

3. Roll the spring rolls

   Briefly wet one rice-paper wrapper and lay it on a clean towel. Place a portion of filling near the bottom edge. Fold the edge over the filling, bring the sides in, then roll firmly. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

4. Fry in two stages

   Heat the oil to 160°C in a saucepan or deep fryer. Fry the rolls in small batches for 6–8 minutes, turning them, until cooked through and lightly golden. Drain on a rack. Raise the oil to 180°C and fry them again for 1–2 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp.

5. Make the nuoc cham

   Stir the water, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the finely chopped garlic and sliced chilli. Serve the rolls straight from the second fry with the sauce.

Chef's tips

• Wet the wrappers one at a time; too much water makes them sticky and difficult to roll.
• Keep the filling modest; an overfilled wrapper can split before the pork cooks through.
• Use both frying temperatures: the first cooks the filling, while the second firms and browns the shell.

Storage

Serve straight after the second fry. Unfried rolls can be frozen in a single layer; fry from frozen, extending the first frying stage.