This Recipe is part of the Fresh and Flavourful Vietnamese Menu
This is one of Vietnam’s culinary treasures. Stuffed with shrimp, pork and fresh herbs, goi cuon is traditionally eaten whole as a snack although it makes a great appetizer, cut into smaller pieces.
Ingredients
4 ounces (115 g) bun (rice vermicelli or rice sticks)
Pinch of salt
10 ounces (275 g) pork shoulder, untrimmed, cut into 2 pieces
12 shrimp (18/20 count), unpeeled
Eight 8- to 10-inch (20- to 25-cm) dried rice paper rounds, or as needed
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed
1/2 cup Hoisin Peanut Sauce
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Boil the bun for 5 minutes, then drain. Rinse immediately in cool water and drain. Keep covered until needed.
2. Bring the water back up to a boil over high heat and add the salt. Cook the pork in the boiling salted water until it’s cooked but still firm enough for slicing, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. While the pork is cooking, bring another small pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Rinse under running water and set aside to drain. When they’re cool enough to handle, shell, devein, and cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside.
4. Remove the pork from the pot and drain. When it’s cool enough to handle, slice into thin slices, about 1 x 2-1/2 inches (2.5 x 6 cm). Set aside on a small plate.
5. Set up a salad roll “station.” Line a cutting board with a damp kitchen towel. Fill a large mixing bowl with hot water and place it nearby. (Keep some boiling water handy and add to the bowl.) Arrange the ingredients in the order they will be used: the pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, mint leaves, and lettuce.
6. Working with 2 rice paper sheets at a time, dip 1 sheet, edge first, in the hot water and turn it to wet completely, about 10 seconds. Lay the sheet down on the towel. Repeat with the other rice paper and place it alongside the first.
7. Line the bottom third of the rice sheet with 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, and top with 2 slices of pork. Add 1 tablespoon rice vermicelli, 1 tablespoon bean sprouts, and 4 to 5 mint leaves. (Arrange the ingredients so the rolls will end up being about 5 inches/ 12.5 cm long and 1-1/2 inches/4cm wide.) Halve a lettuce leaf lengthwise along the centre rib. Roll the lettuce up in one piece and place on top of the filling. (Trim it if it’s too long.) While pressing down on the ingredients, fold the edge of the rice paper over the filling, then fold in the two sides and roll into a cylinder. If the paper feels thick, stop three-quarters of the way and trim the end piece. (Too much rice paper can make the rolls chewy.) Repeat with the remaining rice papers and filling.
8. To serve, cut the rolls into two or three pieces and place them upright on a plate. Server with the Hoisin Peanut Sauce on the side.
Serves 6-8
Chef’s Advice:
Tip: Make the rolls tight so the filling doesn’t fall out when you’re eating them.
Substitutions: Grilled salmon and fresh basil are a great combination; you can also use chicken, beef, or tofu and mushrooms for the filling.
Excerpted from The Flavors of Asia by Mai Pham. Copyright © 2009 by The Culinary Institute of America. Excerpted by permission of DK Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now.