Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Nem Cuốn)

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Nem Cuốn) © kvalifood.com

Nem cuốn are fresh (unfried) spring rolls wrapped in softened rice paper. The filling is simple - boiled pork belly, prawns, egg strips, rice noodles, and herbs. They are eaten with a light fish sauce dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Makes 10 rolls

Filling

  • 200 g pork belly
  • 1 shallot
  • 6 cooked prawns, peeled and halved lengthways
  • 1 egg
  • 50 g rice vermicelli, dry
  • 10 rice paper wrappers
  • 1 head green lettuce, leaves separated, hard ribs removed
  • coriander (or basil or mint), optional
  • 1/4 pineapple, thinly sliced, optional
  • salt
  • pepper

Dipping sauce

  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp lime juice (or lemon juice)
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 200 ml warm water
  • chili, minced, to taste
  • garlic, minced, to taste
  • carrot, thinly sliced, optional
  • cucumber, thinly sliced, optional

Directions

Prepare the filling

  1. Place the pork belly in a pot with the shallot, 1 tsp salt, and cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pork to rest in the hot water for 20 minutes. Check it is cooked through - no pink water when pierced. Cool completely, then slice thinly (about 2 mm thick).
  2. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry as a thin omelette in a lightly oiled non-stick pan, about 2 minutes per side. Cool and cut into strips about 3 mm wide.
  3. Cook the dry vermicelli in boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and cut into shorter lengths with scissors.
  4. Make the dipping sauce: dissolve the sugar in the warm water, add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Add sliced carrot and cucumber if using.

Roll

  1. Dip a rice paper wrapper into warm water for about 1 second - just enough to wet it. Place flat on a board. Wait 10 seconds for it to soften.
  2. Lay prawns (cut side up), lettuce, noodles, pineapple, egg strips, and herbs in a line across the lower third of the wrapper.
  3. Fold the bottom edge over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll up firmly. Place seam-side down.
  4. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Do not soak the rice paper - a quick dip is enough. Over-soaked wrappers tear easily.
  • Keep finished rolls covered with a damp cloth so they don’t dry out.
  • Boiled chicken or stir-fried beef can replace the pork.