Crunchy Chicken Rice Paper Spring Rolls (Chả giò)...

I scream, you scream, we all scream for spring rolls!!! Ok it doesn't have the same ring, but it definitely stirs up the same mouth-watering effect :). I make Chinese spring rolls, pan-fried stuffed beancurd rolls and my dad's egg rolls, but the Vietnamese-kind is my first. It's such a popular appetizer eating out at a Vietnamese pho restaurant, with just one delectable bite you'll know why. What makes chả giò so unique and also challenging to make is the ultra crunchy skin- softened delicate rice paper that serves as the wrapper and gets ridiculously crisp-crackly when deep-fried. Inside, the meat and finely chopped vegetables create a harmonious flavour combination with a textural character. Of course, there is also a deelish vegetarian option using taro to replace the meat. Serve with a Thai-style chili plum sauce or its usual partner nuoc mam, and a Vietnamese herb salad to cut the oil, and to balance the heavy with the light. I'm trying my hands on a chicken version and I'd be lying if I said it was an easy process. It is certainly labour-intensive with the multiple fine chopping, meticulous wrapping preparations and batch-frying. Could this inherently be the reason why I waited so long? Seeing my family devour them, the effort was well-paid off and it'll be indeed added to my friendly repertoire of deep-fried home-style Asian rolls.

Crunchy Chicken Rice Paper Spring Rolls (Chả giò) (adapted from Helene An's An: to eat)
Makes 25 spring rolls

2-1/2 lbs. of ground chicken meat
2 medium white onions, minced
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 small jicama, julienned into long strips (for crispy texture)
8 dried shiitake mushrooms*, hydrated and minced
1-1/2 cups dried wood ear mushrooms*, hydrated and minced

1 pkg. 50 g transparent vermicelli cellophane noodles, cooked (snip with scissor a few times)

2 Tbsp. oyster sauce

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

25 sheets medium-sized rice paper

3 cups cooking oil like canola or peanut

* hydrate mushrooms by soaking in water to cover an extra 2-inches for at least two hours or overnight.

For the herb platter:

green leafy lettuce or bibb lettuce

fresh basil leaves

fresh cilantro 

fresh mint

Thai-style chili plum sauce or/

(Nước mắm cham) (Makes 3/4 cup):

Dissolve 1/4 cup granulated sugar in 1/3 cup boiling water. Mix in 2 Tbsp. fish sauce and 2-3 Tbsp. white vinegar and leave to cool. To season, add 2 finely chopped garlic and Vietnamese garlic chili sauce (sambal oelek) to taste. 

Making Vietnamese spring rolls is a work-out for your hand and knife skills... There's a lot of slicing, slivering, dicing and mincing! We're only making enough for 25, imagine the labour going into just these appetizers at a bustling Vietnamese joint? Then there's the wrapping and deep-frying too! Whew! 

In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the onions, carrots, jicama and mushrooms.  Add the noodles and mix well. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Get your wrapping station ready. Set up a shallow dish filled with warm water, a flat surface area for wrapping (I use a cutting board) , and a large plate or several to contain the finished rolls. 

Dip the rice paper by horizontally sliding the rice paper into the water and rotate so the entire paper has been quickly soaked. Place onto the flat surface.

I toggled between wrapping on the board and on a plate to make it go faster.

Let the paper dry slightly (it will begin shrivelling at the rim). You will need it pliable for wrapping. Put 2 Tbsp. of the meat mixture in a horizontal line about one-third of the way up the wrapper from the bottom, leaving a finger-width border on either side. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the meat and start rolling upward, making sure to tuck in the sides as you go. Don't roll too tightly or the wrapper may tear. TIP: Roll each spring roll back and forth under your palm on the counter to release the air bubbles inside (this prevents bubbles from forming on the skin). Place the roll on a plate and repeat with remaining wrappers and meat filling.

Voila!

Holy rolls!!

Heat the oil in a deep skillet/wok or pot over medium heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Once the oil is hot, place three to five rolls at a time and cook them until their outsides turn golden brown, about seven to ten minutes. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer the cooked rolls to the baking sheet to drain. Repeat with remaining rolls.

Sometimes you will get many uglies before you get to the pertties... A few rolls split during the frying process and cooked up burnt on the wounded areas. Here are some TIPS for crispier spring rolls with an even golden-brown colour.

Cook's Notes: If the skin is too wet, it can cause a tear when it hits the fryer. Also if the paper doesn't wrap around the contents twice, it will be too thin skinned to bare contact with the heat and will split as a result. Have a skimmer on hand to scoop up spilled debris.

Use coconut water instead of water to wet the rice paper. The sugar content caramelizes under high oil temps that browns the rolls nicely. Add a few drops of fresh lime juice to the frying oil before it is heated to make the rolls crispier.

Serve the spring rolls hot along with the herb platter and dipping sauce. 

My herb platter consisted of mint and cilantro. Usually Thai basil would be in too.
Tear a piece of green leafy lettuce to wrap a roll and add a bit of onions.

Crunchy exterior giving way to a moist and textural interior with juicy chicken, crispy jicama and fun threads of noodles.

Go on son, enjoy the crisp-crackly goodness paired with some green!

For a much lighter and refreshing fare that is popularily called summer rolls, try the traditional rice paper roll filled with shrimps, pork and a bouquet of fresh Vietnamese herbs. 

Fresh Shrimp and Pork Salad Rolls