Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls

In need of a fresh, vibrant dish to match the beautiful weekend, I decided to whip up some Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls for Sunday lunch. This is an incredibly cost effective meal for a larger group, and when you get everyone involved in wrapping the spring rolls it ends up being quick, easy, and a whole lot of fun (mostly when laughing at the failed rolls *ahem Suzie*).

Ingredients (serves 3)

1 packet Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Vegetables
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
Crisp lettuce
Coriander leaves

Pork filling
500 grams pork mince
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Dipping sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup simple syrup (even quantities of sugar and water)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Fresh or dried chilli, chopped
Small handful of fresh coriander and mint, chopped

Firstly to cook the pork filling heat a splash of oil (preferably peanut oil) in a pan, and add the garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute, then add the pork mince. Quickly brown the mince, and add the sweet chilli and fish sauce to taste. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the pork is fully cooked.

Leave the pork to cool slightly as you prepare the sauce. To do so, mix all dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl to serve, and garnish with extra herbs or chilli.

To make the rolls, soak one rice paper in water for about 30-45 seconds until slightly soft. Spoon a small amount of the pork, along with some of your vegetables into the centre of the roll. Fold tightly, tucking the edges under as you go, to make a fully sealed roll.

If you're serving this dish at a party you'd want to prepare the rolls in advance, but if you're as disorganised as me and throwing this together for a quick lunch or dinner, you can enlist the help of your diners to make their own rolls as they go. It encourages slow eating and increased laughing.