Bun Chao Gio - Vietnamese Noodles With Spring Rolls - cooking recipe

Ingredients

10 sheets spring roll wrappers (for fried spring rolls)
200 g ground pork
100 g dried rice vermicelli
2 spring onions
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/3 cup dried shiitake mushroom
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot, chopped roughly
1 egg
1 egg white
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
vegetable oil, 2 cups for frying
1 cup baby cos lettuce
1/4 cup chopped coriander
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1/3 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup fried shallots (bought already cooked in a packet in Asian aisle)
1 small red chili pepper
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 lime, juice of
1 teaspoon sugar, dissolved in
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 cup bean sprouts

Preparation

Soak the mushrooms in boiling water til soft.
Soak 20 g of the rice vermicelli in boiling water til soft.
Put in a food processor: softened rice vermicelli, softened mushrooms, pork mince, garlic, spring onions, carrot, egg, salt, pepper and hoi sin sauce and blend quickly (not til it's a paste).
Cut spring roll pastry (if in large sheets) into squares, about 10 - 15 cm on each side.
For each square, turn so point is downwards.
Place spoon of mixture just below centre of square and shape into a little log (not all the way to the edges though).
Take bottom point and fold over mixture, tucking in on opposite side.
Roll upwards one full roll.
Fold each side point into middle.
Finish rolling around top point and glue shut with egg white.
Heat vegetable oil to high, test it's hot enough by dropping in a small piece of pastry - if it bubbles it's ready.
Cook spring rolls in oil til golden brown.
Place cooked spring rolls on kitchen towel to drain oil.
Put lettuce, sprouts, cucumber, chopped herbs in a large single-size serving bowl.
Heat up a litre of water to boiling.
Cook remaining rice vermicelli (will only take a couple minutes).
Drain vermicelli in a colander, rinse with lukewarm water.
Place rice vermicelli over greens in bowl.
Sprinkle peanuts and fried shallots over the top.
Slice spring rolls into bite size pieces and place on top.
Combine sugar-water, fish sauce, chopped red chili and lime juice in a bowl and then pour over noodle dish.