Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Pork, crabmeat, shrimp, mushrooms -- what doesn't this recipe have? No wonder spring rolls are so popular in Vietnam.

Servings: 25 rolls

Ingredients:

6 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
8 ounces lean ground pork
4 ounces uncooked shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and chopped
4 ounces white crabmeat
1 carrot, shredded
2 ounces cellophane noodles, soaked in water, drained and cut into short lengths
4 scallions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Freshly ground pepper
25 (4-inch) Vietnamese rice sheets
Oil for frying
Lettuce leaves, cucumber slices and cilantro leaves for garnish

Method:

Drain the mushrooms, squeezing out the excess moisture. Remove the stems and thinly slice the caps into a bowl. Add the pork, shrimp, crabmeat, carrot, noodles, scallions, and garlic.

Season with fish sauce, lime juice, and pepper. Set the mixture aside for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Assemble the spring rolls. Place a rice sheet on a flat surface and brush with warm water until it is flexible. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling near the edge of the rice sheet. Fold the sides over the filling, fold in the two ends, then roll up, sealing the ends of the roll with a little water. Make more rolls in the same way, until all the filling is used up.

Heat the oil in a non-stick deep-frying pan. Add the rolls, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls hot, garnished with lettuce, cucumber, and cilantro.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.

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