Summer Rolls

Goi Cuon

(Summer Roll

Platter)

Shrimp (Or Chao Tom, just put the sugarcane to the side)

Rice noodles

Lettuce

Cucumber

Herbs (Thai basil, mint)

Hoisin sauce

Coconut milk

Rice paper

Optional: Crushed Peanuts

Instructions:

Cut shrimp in half and cook. Set aside. Cook rice noodles as the package describes. During that (or after I’m not here to judge your process), wash lettuce and separate or shred. Set aside. Cut cucumber in half across the width in the middle and slice into long thin slices. Rinse the herbs. Plate everything.

For the sauce mix one can of coconut milk and add hoisin sauce (start with a cup?) and taste it. Add more hoisin sauce as you see fit. The sauce will go in a dipping dish and crushed peanuts can be sprinkled on top. 

To wrap them, take the rice paper and wet it in a bowl of water, some say warm water is better, others say cold water, I have no evidence to say either is better so it’s whatever the faucet says. Dip the rice paper in the water briefly and lay it on your plate flat. It helps to let the edge at the bottom hang off the plate ever so slightly. Add the ingredients (shrimp, noodles, cucumber, lettuce, herbs) and wrap the rice paper around it like a burrito. If you haven’t ever wrapped a roll or burrito, it goes like this. Take the bottom edge and lay it over the contents of the wrap, tighten it and compress it to free up more rice paper space. Wrap the two sides over to close the sides and then roll it all the way up. It takes some practice and there isn’t a perfect way to do it. Some people leave one side open, some are wide and stout and others are thin and long. All are valid and all are delicious. 

Enjoy and dip in the sauce. 

You can also make them ahead of time (not longer than the morning of) and display them but they might stick together so you can put a kitchen towel beneath them and over the tray and another towel between any layers of rolls you have, Otherwise everyone can wrap theirs themselves one at a time.

Nem Nuong

Nem Nuong (Vietnamese/Chinese sausage)

Lettuce

Star fruit

Cucumber

Served with prepared fish sauce

Instructions:

1. Put foil on a sheet pan and put oil on the bottom to keep it from drying out, then put the raw meat on the pan and squash and shape it to long rectangles about a half-inch or so and cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Then cut into quarter inch strips.

2. Cut cucumber into two inch long slices, slice Star fruit, and wash lettuce.

3. Roll it all together and enjoy.