Chả Giò

Rolls

• pork mince400 g
• rice paper20 sheets
• glass noodles50 g
• dried wood ear mushrooms15 g
• carrots1
• shallots2
• garlic cloves2
• eggs1
• fish sauce1 tbsp
• black pepper½ tsp
• vegetable oil1 l

To serve

• lettuce1 head
• mint1 handful
• coriander1 handful
• fish sauce3 tbsp
• limes1
• caster sugar2 tbsp
• garlic cloves1
• water4 tbsp

Rolls

1. 01

   Soak the glass noodles and the dried wood ear mushrooms in separate bowls of warm water for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain them, cut the noodles into 3 cm lengths and finely chop the wood ear mushrooms. Finely grate the carrot, finely chop the shallots and garlic, and beat the egg.

2. 02

   Mix the pork, the soaked glass noodles cut short, the soaked chopped wood ear, the finely grated carrot, the finely chopped shallots and garlic, the beaten egg, the fish sauce and freshly ground pepper. Do not overwork it or the filling turns dense.

3. 03

   Dip a rice paper sheet briefly in warm water — 1–2 seconds, no more. It carries on softening as you work.

4. 04

   Lay a tablespoon of filling near the edge, fold the sides in and roll up tightly. Loose rolls burst in the oil.

5. 05

   Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan or wok to a depth of about 5 cm and a temperature of 150°C, and fry the rolls in batches for 6 to 7 minutes, until pale gold and the pork is cooked through with no pink in the middle. Drain.

6. 06

   Raise the oil to 190°C and fry them a second time for 2 minutes, until deep amber and blistered all over.

To serve

7. 07

   Squeeze the juice from the lime and finely mince the garlic. Whisk them with the fish sauce, the sugar and the warm water until the sugar dissolves.

8. 08

   Wrap each hot roll in a lettuce leaf with mint and coriander, and dip.