North Vietnamese-style Spring Rolls

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces dried bean thread noodles
• 2 dried wood ear mushrooms
• 3/4 lb ground lamb or 3/4 lb ground chicken
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 walnut-sized shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 spring roll wrappers, cut in half on the diagonal (not egg roll wrappers)
• 2 tablespoons flour (mixed with 1/4 cup water)
• vegetable oil (for deep frying)
• 1 head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
• dipping sauce

Recipe

• 1 in separate bowls, soak the bean thread noodles and wood ears in warm water to cover until softened, about 10 minutes; drain.
• 2 cut the noodles into 2-inch lengths; cut the wood ears into narrow strips.
• 3 in a big bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well.
• 4 to make each roll, place a triangular wrapper on a work surface with the long edge facing you.
• 5 spread ¼ cup of the filling in a band across the wrapper, positioning it 2 inches above the bottom and leaving a 2-inch border on either side.
• 6 fold the bottom edge of the wrapper over the filling, and then fold in the right and left corners.
• 7 roll over once to enclose the filling; brush sides and tip of the triangle with the flour-water paste; fold over the seal.
• 8 cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
• 9 heat vegetable oil to 350° on a deep-frying thermomenter.
• 10 working in batches, add the rolls and deep-fry, turning rolls, until they are golden brown and the filling is cooked, 4-5 minutes.
• 11 remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• 12 serve warm rolls with the lettuce and your favorite dipping sauce.
• 13 to eat, place a roll on a lettuce leaf, wrap the lettuce around the roll, dip it in the sauce, and eat out of hand.