Hanoi Crisp parcels with vermicelli salad (Bun nem ran) - Vietnamese Cui...

The flavours and textures in this Vietnamese recipe from Luke Nguyen really pack a punch, with the crispy crab, pork and mushroom parcels served on noodle salad with fresh herbs, nuoc cham and crunchy garnish. Yum!

Ingredients

• 40 g(1½ oz) dried wood ear mushrooms

• 40 g(1½ oz) bean thread vermicelli

• 1jicama, peeled, julienned

• 200 g(7 oz) minced pork

• 200 g(7 oz) crabmeat (from fish monger)

• ½ onion, finely diced

• 1 tbspsugar

• 2 tspsea salt

• 2 tspground white pepper

• 1 tbspfish sauce

• 20dried round rice paper wrappers (20 cm/8 inch diameter)

• 1egg white, lightly beaten

• vegetable oil, for deep-frying

• 500 gcooked rice vermicelli

• 1large handful perilla

• 1large handful mint

• 1large handful Vietnamese mint

• 250 ml(9 fl oz/1 cup) nuoc cham

• 3 tbspfried red shallots

• 3 tbsproasted peanuts

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Instructions

Soaking time 20 minutes

Put the mushrooms in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 20 minutes, then drain and thinly slice. Soak the bean thread vermicelli in water for 20 minutes, then drain and cut into 4 cm (1½ inch) lengths.

Place the sliced jicama in a muslin cloth and squeeze out its juice then discard.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, vermicelli, jicama, pork, crabmeat, onion, sugar, sea salt, white pepper and fish sauce.

Knead the mixture in the bowl for 10 minutes, or until your arms get tired.

Working with one rice paper at a time, submerge the rice paper in a large pan of warm water, then transfer it to a chopping board or work surface.

Take 1½ heaped tablespoons of the mixture and place it on the bottom edge of the rice paper. Fold the two adjacent sides, one on top of the other, into the centre.

Roll the apex to form a nice firm roll, and secure with a dab of egg white. Repeat until you have filled all the rice papers.

Pour the oil into a wok and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.

Fry the parcels in three batches for 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.

Distribute the rice vermicelli noodles among 4–6 bowls, top with sliced herbs then cut the parcels into the bowls.

Pour 2 tablespoons of nuoc cham to each bowl and garnish with fried shallots and peanuts.