Handmade rice noodles filled with pork and wood-ear mushrooms (banh cuon...

Ingredients



4 dried wood ear mushrooms

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 red Asian shallots, diced

300 g (10½ oz) pork mince

1 tsp fish sauce

½ tsp sugar

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork terrine, finely sliced

1 bunch perilla, leaves plucked

1 bunch Vietnamese mint, leaves plucked

1 bunch mint, leaves plucked

300 g (10½ oz) mung bean sprouts

2 tbsp fried red Asian shallots

2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, sliced into batons

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) nuoc mam cham (dipping fish sauce)

2 bird's-eye chillies, sliced





Batter



200 g rice flour

60 g tapioca flour

½ tsp salt

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.



To make the batter, combine rice flour, tapioca flour and salt with 600 ml of cold water. Whisk until the flour dissolves and forms a smooth batter.



Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Fry the garlic and shallots until fragrant, then add the pork, mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar and pinch of salt and pepper.



Stir-fry for 4 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.



Brush a round tray with oil and place beside the stove. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, and add enough oil to coat the base of the pan. Pour a small ladleful (2–3 tablespoons) of the batter into the pan, turning the pan in a circular motion to cover the base with a thin layer of batter.



Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 30 seconds.



Remove the lid and slide the thin noodle sheet onto your oiled tray. Scoop 1 tablespoon of pork mixture onto the noodle sheet, fold two sides in, then fold over to form a roll.



Transfer to a plate. Repeat this process using the remaining batter and pork mixture, adding oil to the pan as necessary.



Top the rolls with pork terrine, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, fried shallots and cucumber. Dress with nuoc cham and garnish with sliced chilli.