Name: Vietnamese fresh spring rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 12 pcs rice paper; 150 g rice noodles; 300 g shrimp; 300 g pork belly; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 head romaine lettuce; 1 pc cucumber; 1 pc carrot; 1 handful mint; 1 handful coriander; water; 30 g peanuts; 60 ml fish sauce; 80 ml water; 1 pc lime; 2 tablespoons caster sugar; 1 clove garlic; 1 pc chilli

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Start with the dipping sauce for this spring roll recipe: mix the fish sauce with water and sugar, add the squeezed lime juice, crushed garlic, and finely chopped chili. Adjust briefly to taste.
2
Wash and dry the lettuce and tear it into smaller leaves. Cut the cucumber and carrot into thin strips, rinse the herbs, and let them drain.
3
Coarsely chop the peanuts for sprinkling and set aside.

Cooking

4
Bring salted water to a boil in a pot and add the pork belly. Simmer gently for 25-30 minutes until tender, then cool and slice very thinly.
TIP:
Let the meat cool in the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes after cooking, then slice into very thin slices against the grain. Cold slices cut more easily and improve the texture of the rolls.
5
Place the prawns in boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink. Drain, cool, peel, and optionally halve them lengthwise.
6
Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions until soft, rinse with cold water, drain well, and divide into four piles for easier rolling.

Serving

7
Prepare a wide bowl of lukewarm water and a damp kitchen towel on a cutting board. Briefly soak a sheet of rice paper for 5-10 seconds and place it on the towel.
TIP:
Soak the rice paper in warm water for only 5-10 seconds, then lay it on a damp towel. When rolling, be gentle, fold in the sides, and roll tightly so the paper doesn't tear.
8
On the lower third, place a lettuce leaf, some noodles, strips of cucumber and carrot, a few herb leaves, a slice of pork belly, and the prawn halves. Fold the sides and roll tightly.
9
Serve the finished rolls immediately with the nuoc cham sauce and optionally sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.