Vietnamese Spring Roll

• Meat

  • 1 lb Ground pork

• Seafood

  • 1/2 lb Shrimp

• Produce

  • 1 cup Carrots
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 Onion, small
  • 1 Shallot
  • 1 cup Taro root
  • 1/2 cup Wood ear mushrooms, dried

• Condiments

  • 1 tbsp Fish sauce

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Sugar

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 1 package Spring roll wrappers

Found on iamafoodblog.com

Directions

• In a food processor, blend the shrimp until it comes together into a paste. Add the pork and blend until the pork and shrimp are thoroughly combined. Put the pork-shrimp mixture in a bowl and add the mushrooms, carrots, taro, onion, garlic, shallot and the seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Test the seasoning by frying a tiny patty of meat in a frying pan. Adjust the season accordingly.
• Take a wrapper and place it in front of you like a diamond. Make sure the other wrappers are covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out. Spread out 1 tablespoon of filling not quite in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the corner closest to you up and towards the corner farthest away from you. Pinch to make sure the wrapper is tight around the filling. Fold in the two sides to where it meets the filling. Try to keep the sides straight. Pinch and roll tightly. Lightly dampened the last corner with a bit of egg before rolling up all the way.
• Roll all your rolls before you start frying. Line a baking sheet, or plate with parchment or wax paper to place your spring rolls on. Make sure you have a damp paper towel to cover your completed spring rolls and the spring roll wrappers. If you don’t cover them with a damp paper towel, the skin will dry out. If you want to stack your spring rolls, be sure to have a piece of paper in between the layers as well.
• Fill a deep sided pot (I like to deep fry in my cast iron pan) with several inches of oil (enough for the spring rolls to float). Heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Gently add your spring rolls, being careful not to overcrowd. It’s best to deep-fry in batches. The rolls should bubble immediately when they hit the hot oil. If they don’t, your oil isn’t hot enough. Fry until the skins turn golden brown and crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the rolls and drain on paper towels. These rolls stay hot for quite some time so be careful when you bite into one!
• **If you want to try these rolls Spring-Roll Salad Roll style, grab some green leaf lettuce, a bunch of herbs (Thai basil, cilantro, Vietnamese mint, regular mint, shiso), and a pack of rice paper wrappers. Have a medium-sized bowl of hot tap water ready for softening the rice paper. Quickly dip the rice paper into the hot water, making sure the entire piece is wet. Lay the wrapper on your plate (it will continue to soften as you are assembling your roll). Lay down a piece of lettuce, add some herbs and then place a lovely golden spring roll in the middle. Wrap it up as you would a spring roll, dip into fish sauce and have your mind blown by the difference in textures and tastes.