Cha Gio (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)

Ingredients

• 0.5 oz dried wood ear mushrooms
• 2 oz dried glass (mung bean) noodles
• 1 lb ground pork
• 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 20 round rice paper wrappers (22cm/8.5in), or wheat spring roll wrappers
• 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 head butter or romaine lettuce, leaves separated, for serving
• 1 bunch mint, for serving
• 1 bunch cilantro, for serving
• 3 tbsp fish sauce (for nuoc cham)
• 3 tbsp sugar (for nuoc cham)
• 2 limes, juiced (for nuoc cham)
• 1/3 cup warm water (for nuoc cham)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (for nuoc cham)
• 1 Thai chili, thinly sliced (for nuoc cham)

Before you cook

• Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes until softened and pliable
• Soak the dried glass noodles in a separate bowl of warm water for 15 minutes until flexible
• Drain the softened wood ear mushrooms and slice them into thin strips, discarding any hard knobby base
• Drain the glass noodles and snip them into roughly 1-inch pieces with kitchen scissors
• Mince the shrimp finely with a knife, leaving some texture rather than a smooth paste
• Grate the carrot on the medium holes of a box grater
• Mince the shallots and garlic
• Stir together the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and warm water for the nuoc cham until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the minced garlic and sliced chili and set aside
• Set a damp clean kitchen towel on your counter as a rolling surface and fill a wide shallow bowl with warm water for softening the wrappers

Steps

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, minced shrimp, sliced wood ear mushroom, glass noodle pieces, grated carrot, shallots, garlic, egg, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, sugar and black pepper
2. Mix the filling with your hands or a spoon until evenly combined, about 1 minute
3. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the bowl of warm water for 2 to 3 seconds, just until it starts to go limp, then lay it flat on the damp towel
4. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling in a short log shape across the bottom third of the wrapper
5. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up and over the filling, pressing gently to tuck it tight
6. Fold in both sides of the wrapper over the filling like an envelope
7. Roll the wrapper away from you into a tight cylinder, sealing the top edge closed with a little pressure
8. Set the finished roll seam-side down on a tray and repeat dipping, filling and rolling with the remaining wrappers and filling, keeping finished rolls from touching each other
9. Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy pot or wok until it reaches about 1.5 inches deep
10. Heat the oil over medium heat until a thermometer reads 300°F
11. Lower 5 or 6 rolls into the oil without crowding the pot and fry for 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the wrappers are pale gold and the filling is cooked through
12. Lift the rolls out with a slotted spoon or spider and set them on a wire rack to rest for at least 5 minutes
13. Fry the remaining rolls in batches the same way at 300°F, then let all the rolls rest on the rack
14. Raise the oil temperature to 350°F
15. Return the rolls to the hot oil in batches and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, turning once, until deep golden and audibly crackling
16. Lift the rolls out and drain again on the wire rack for a minute before serving
17. Serve the rolls hot, letting each person wrap one in a lettuce leaf with mint and cilantro and dip it in the nuoc cham