Crispy Spring Rolls

Cha gio are considered culinary treasures, delighting everyone who's
tried them. Light and crispy, spring rolls are traditionally wrapped
with rice paper. At Lemon Grass, however, we use a more durable type of
spring roll wrapper made from wheat flour. Also used for Filipino-style
lumpias, they are marketed under the Menlo brand and stocked in the
frozen food department of Asian grocery stores. These 8 X 8-inch
wrappers seal the filling so well that no oil can seep through during
frying; this is not the case with rice paper.

Filling
1 ounce dried bean thread noodles, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes,
drained, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces with a scissors (about 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon dried tree ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30
minutes, drained, and stems trimmed and chopped with a scissors
2/3 cup finely minced yellow onion
2 carrots, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound ground pork
Assembling And Frying
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
15 thin spring roll wrappers such as Menlo brand
Oil for frying

Accompaniments
Table Salad
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Combine the bean thread noodles, mushrooms, onion, carrots, and green
onions in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the fish sauce, garlic, salt,
sugar, and black pepper. Add the chicken and pork and using a fork,
break up the meat, so it is thoroughly mixed with the seasonings. Add
the noodle mixture and mix well. Set aside.

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil
over low heat and stir often to prevent sticking. If mixture seems too
thick, add more water. This will be the "glue" to seal the edges of the
wrapper.

Cut the wrappers in half diagonally. You will have two equal triangles.
Starting with the longest side toward you, place about 2 tablespoons of
filling on the bottom area of the triangle. Using your fingers, mold
the filling into a cylinder 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Fold the two
pointed ends of the wrapper in and roll to enclose. Dab a little
cornstarch mixture along the edges (do not use too much "glue") and
seal the roll. Set aside while you finish making the remaining rolls.
Do not stack them.

To fry, preheat a large wok or fry pan. When hot, pour enough oil in to
completely cover the spring rolls. Heat to about 325 degrees. Carefully
place the rolls into the oil. Do not crowd the pan or place the rolls
on top of each other. Fry the spring rolls until filling is cooked,
about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, turning often until they are nicely
brown and crisp. If they brown too quickly, reduce the heat as the oil
is too hot. Remove the cooked spring rolls from the pan and drain on
paper towels. Serve immediately with dipping sauce and table salad.

To enjoy a spring roll the Vietnamese way, put it on a lettuce leaf,
top with cucumber and mint, and wrap it up. Then dip in Vietnamese
dipping sauce.

Chef Mai Pham shares her tips with Epicurious:
.. Cha gio are traditionally made with rice paper wrappers. But the
wrappers available in the United States are thicker than those used in
Vietnam and, while fine for raw summer rolls, don't fry well - their
thickness makes them too sticky. For fried spring rolls, Pham suggests
using thin Chinese-style wheat wrappers. Do not be tempted to
substitute wonton wrappers, which are also too thick.
.. Bean thread noodles, also called glass or cellophane noodles, are
thin, transparent, wiry noodles made from mung bean starch. They're
sold dried at Asian grocery stores and many supermarkets.
.. Tree ears, also called wood ears, cloud ears, or black fungus, are
thin black mushrooms that add crunch to many Asian dishes. They're sold
dried in Asian markets. "Avoid the larger two-toned mushrooms as they
can be tough and gritty, especially around the stems," says Pham.
.. Fish sauce (nuoc mam), a pungent, salty liquid made from fermented
anchovies, adds depth and flavor to numerous Vietnamese dishes. For
best results, choose bottles priced at $3 to $4 rather than $1, and
pass on jars that are dark, which indicates oxidation or the presence
of additives. "Look for fish sauce in glass jars. Avoid plastic," says
Pham. "The fish sauce should have a nice, even color, like iced tea."
She suggests Three Crabs, Lobster Boy, and Phu Quoc brands. When
cooking with fish sauce, always add it to other liquids: Never place it
directly in a hot, dry pan, which would broadcast its pungent, fishy
odor throughout your kitchen in a less-than-pleasant way. Soy sauce is
an acceptable vegetarian substitute, though it does lack fish sauce's
smoky complexity.
.. Like dough, spring roll filling should not be overmixed or it will
become too dense. Use your hands or a fork to gently mix the
ingredients together.


Makes about 25 pieces.


Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

This recipe originally accompanied Crispy Spring Rolls.

Nuoc cham is a must at every Vietnamese table, no matter what is
served. You can use this condiment for dipping meat, seafood and
vegetables, and for drizzling on rice. When serving it with steamed
meats (such as steamed chicken), I often reduce the water by half so
the sauce is more concentrated.

You can often determine a family's roots just by looking at and tasting
their nuoc cham. If it's clear and dotted with chopped chilies, the
cook is probably from the central or northern regions, where a simple
and straightforward version is preferred. But if it's diluted with
water and lime juice and sweetened with sugar, one can surmise that the
cook is from the verdant south.

Although it will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator, nuoc cham is
best when freshly made. I prefer the intense flavor of the tiny Thai
bird chilies, but any hot chilies will do.

3 Thai bird chilies or 1 serrano chili, or to taste
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons finely shredded carrots for garnish (optional)

Cut the chilies into thin rings. Remove one-third of the chilies and
set aside for garnish. Place the remaining chilies, garlic and sugar in
a mortar, and pound into a coarse, wet paste. (If you don't have a
mortar, just chop with a knife.) Transfer to a small bowl and add the
water, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve. Add the
reserved chilies and carrots. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE: Nuoc cham is very amenable to variations and adaptations. In
Vietnam, cooks like to use various vegetables to flavor the sauce, such
as thinly sliced marinated daikon and carrots, ginger, scallion oil or
peanuts and even slices of kohlrabi and the core of a white cabbage.
Each imparts a distinctive savoriness.

Chef Mai Pham shares her tips:
.. The Thai bird chile, a short, narrow, pointed, green or red
variety, is not exclusively Thai - it's also the Vietnamese hot
pepper of choice. "In Vietnam, we just call them peppers," says Pham.
Thai bird chiles can be found at Asian grocery stores and better
supermarkets, or ordered from Asian foods supplier Uwajimaya at (800)
889-1928. If you can't find them, Pham suggests substituting fresh red
serrano chiles, which are hotter and sweeter than their green
counterparts.
.. Fish sauce (nuoc mam), a pungent, salty liquid made from fermented
anchovies, adds depth and flavor to numerous Vietnamese dishes. For
best results, choose bottles priced at $3 to $4 rather than $1, and
pass on jars that are dark, which indicates oxidation or the presence
of additives. "Look for fish sauce in glass jars. Avoid plastic," says
Pham. "The fish sauce should have a nice, even color, like iced tea."
She suggests Three Crabs, Lobster Boy, and Phu Quoc brands. When
cooking with fish sauce, always add it to other liquids: Never place it
directly in a hot, dry pan, which would broadcast its pungent, fishy
odor throughout your kitchen in a less-than-pleasant way. Soy sauce is
an acceptable vegetarian substitute, though it does lack fish sauce's
smoky complexity.
.. Pham recommends using a mortar and pestle, rather than a knife, to
mash the aromatic ingredients. This will help release their essential
oils, giving the dish a fuller, "sparkling" flavor.

Makes about 1 cup.


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