Goi Cuon

Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls)

Soft rice-paper wrappers envelop prawn, pork, vermicelli and herbs for a light, cool appetizer traditionally served with peanut and hoisin dips.

Prep

30 min

Cook

15 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4 (makes about 12 rolls)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) rice vermicelli (bún), thin rice sticks, not egg noodles
• •12 round rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng), 22–25 cm diameter
• •12 whole prawns, shell on, about 200 g / 7 oz total
• •150 g (5 oz) pork belly or pork loin, thinly sliced, about 5 mm thick
• •60 g (2 oz) lettuce, soft butter or green leaf, torn into 8 cm pieces
• •30 g (1 oz) fresh mint, whole leaves
• •30 g (1 oz) fresh Thai basil, whole leaves, optional cilantro
• •30 g (1 oz) fresh cilantro, small sprigs
• •1 litre (about 4 cups) water, warm, for soaking rice paper
• •2 Tbsp lime juice
• •1 tsp salt
• •80 g (⅓ cup) roasted peanuts, unsalted, for the peanut dip
• •2 Tbsp hoisin sauce, plus 2 Tbsp for the hoisin dip
• •1 clove garlic, for the peanut dip
• •1 tsp sugar
• •2 Tbsp warm water, to thin the peanut dip
• •50 g (about 2 oz) ground pork or finely chopped pork, for the hoisin dip

Steps

1. 1 Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp lime juice. Add the pork slices and simmer 6–8 minutes until cooked through and an internal temperature of 71 °C / 160 °F is reached. Remove and slice into 5 cm strips.
2. 2 Drop the prawns into the same boiling water and cook 2–3 minutes until they curl and turn pink; the internal temperature should reach 63 °C / 145 °F. Cool, peel, devein and halve lengthwise.
3. 3 Cook the vermicelli in boiling water for 3–4 minutes until tender, then drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.
4. 4 Make the peanut dip: pulse the roasted peanuts, garlic, hoisin, sugar and a pinch of salt in a small food processor. Drizzle in warm water, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth and just thick enough to coat a spoon.
5. 5 Make the hoisin dip (tuong): in a small pan, cook the ground pork over medium heat until browned and cooked through (71 °C / 160 °F). Stir in 2 Tbsp hoisin and 2 Tbsp warm water and simmer 1 minute until glossy. Many cooks skip the pork for a simpler version; both are traditional.
6. 6 Set up a rolling station: a wide shallow bowl of warm water, a clean damp tea towel, and plates of noodles, pork, prawns, lettuce and herbs arranged in the order you will lay them.
7. 7 Dip one rice paper sheet in warm water for 5–8 seconds until just pliable but still slightly firm; lay it flat on the damp towel.
8. 8 Across the lower third of the wrapper, layer in this order: a small handful of vermicelli, two lettuce pieces, 4–5 mint leaves, 3–4 Thai basil leaves, a few cilantro sprigs, two pork strips and three prawn halves (pink side down so the color shows through the wrapper).
9. 9 Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in the two sides, then roll tightly away from you, tucking as you go, to enclose the filling in a neat cylinder. Place seam-down on a plate; do not stack until at least 5 minutes have passed or the rice paper will stick together.
10. 10 Serve cool, not cold, with both dips alongside in small bowls.