Cha Gio Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls Cao Lau Hoi An Noodles with Vietnamese mint and mixed spices Cha Ca Grilled Ocean Fish with Peanuts and Dill Bo Nuong Mu Marinated Beef with Okra on a Sizzling Plate FRESH RICE PAPER ROLLS OF SHRIMP Serves 5 100 grams of peeled shrimps, deveined, and sliced down the middle. Fresh rice paper as per recipe below. 2 pinches of sugar & salt 10 medium sized lettuce leaves _ cup of grated carrot _ cup of grated green papaya (or green mango, bean spouts, cucumber) 2 teaspoons of white vinegar 1 tablespoon of finely chopped white onions 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil Chopped fresh herbs - coriander, mint, Vietnamese basil, etc Pour vegetable oil into wok (medium heat); add onions and fry for 30 seconds. Add shrimp, 1 pinch of salt & sugar, and cook for 1 minute more. In a separate bowl make the vegetable mix - add carrots, green papaya, vinegar and 1 pinch of salt & sugar, mixing together. FRESH RICE PAPER Rice Batter 1 cup of white rice Pinch of salt 1 bamboo or kebab stick Soak the rice in the fresh water for whole night. Clean the rice at least 3 times - to make sure the rice is white Mix 1 cup of the rice with 2 cups of water, and add a pinch of salt. Place in a blender and blend for 7 minutes - then leave for one hour. Method Cover a pot of boiling water with a sheet of thin white cotton and secure it using elastic. Using a big soup spoon (about 2 tablespoons) scoop out the batter and pour onto the cotton - use the bottom of the spoon to move the batter around to form a circle. Steam the batter for one minute - then use the bamboo stick to lift the rice paper from the cotton. Rolling Place some vegetable and herb mix on the rice paper. Then place some wok mixture on top of the vegetables, and roll up the rice paper – taking care to tuck the edges of the paper as you roll. Tips: 1. When removing the rice paper from the pot, flip the paper over, so the top “dry side” of the rice paper is facing down 2. When stacking the rice paper, place a portion of a lettuce or bamboo leaf between each one to prevent them from sticking. This makes it easy to take 1 piece at a time when needed. 3. Fresh rice paper is difficult to buy in most western countries, however dried rice paper, in packets, is readily available - and is suitable substitute. To soften dried rice paper for rolling – remove contents from the packet and place amongst fresh vegetables or leave for 3 hours, or immerse in water. 4. Dip rolls into a sweet and sour sauce before eating - see recipe below.