Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Spring Rolls

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

Spring Roll Mixture

25g rice vermicelli glass noodles

10g dried wood ear mushrooms (optional)

400g pork mince

1 tsp anchovy salt 

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

1½ tsp sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

400g prawn cutlets

1 medium carrot, grated

1 small brown onion, grated

250g taro, grated 

Spring Roll Wrapping

1 packet of 30 large spring roll pastry

1 egg (egg wash)

500ml neutral cooking oil 

Spring Onion Oil (optional)

½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

50ml neutral cooking oil

Dressing  

3 bird’s eye chillies, de-seeded (optional)

3 cloves of garlic 

1 tsp anchovy salt 

5 tbsp of fish sauce

5 tbsp of apple cider vinegar 

6 tbsp of sugar 

150ml cold water 

1 lime juiced

Other

400g rice vermicelli noodles

100g gourmet salad leaves

1 bunch mint, roughly chopped

2 bunches Vietnamese perilla, roughly chopped

1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped (optional)

2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into small batons

1 bag (250g) bean sprouts

Vietnamese pickled carrots or 2 grated carrots

Roasted crushed peanuts (optional)

Method

To make the spring rolls, rehydrate wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles in warm water for 20 minutes then strain, rinse well and finely slice and chop into 3-5 cm strands respectively.

In a large mixing bowl add pork mince and all dry and wet seasonings and mix well until pork mince becomes sticky then set aside.

Separate the tail third of the prawn from the main body and cut the tail third of prawn into small pieces and set aside. Chop main body of prawns until it turns into a paste-like texture then add to the mixing bowl and combine with pork mince.

Add remaining spring roll mixture ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix until well combined, then fold through prawn tail pieces.

Cut square spring roll pastry diagonally in half to form triangles. Place approximately 1½ teaspoons of the mixture at the base of each triangle (longest side). With gentle but firm pressure, fold the pastry over the mixture twice, then fold the sides in towards the center. Using your fingertips apply firm pressure and roll forward to form thin cigar-sized scrolls. Use a touch of egg wash to seal the spring rolls when you get to the end. Continue with remaining ingredients.

Store in air tight container and place in the freezer for 3 hours before frying, for best results freeze overnight.

To cook the spring rolls, deep-fry from frozen for 4-5 minutes or fresh for 3 minutes, or until golden, in cooking oil at 180°C.

For the spring onion oil, in a small saucepan bring cooking oil to smoking point. In a small bowl add the spring onions, sea salt and sugar and mix well. Pour hot oil into the bowl and mix well.

For the dressing, in mortar and pestle, crush and pound chillies, garlic into a paste then add remaining ingredients and mix well until sugar dissolves and sauce becomes slightly viscous.

Let’s make the noodle salad bowl: To boil the noodles, in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water for 8-9 minutes or until just beyond al dente then strain immediately and rinse under cold water.

In a large serving bowl place a serve of noodles, 4-5 spring rolls cut into bite-sized pieces, garnish with a small handful of lettuce leaves, chopped herbs, cucumber, pickled carrots, bean sprouts, a tablespoon of spring onion oil, crushed peanuts and dress generously with 5-6 tablespoons of dressing. Mix well and enjoy.