Chả giò is what Vietnamese spring rolls are called in Vietnamese, and they’re the author’s favourite food for parties and events. The filling has crab, shrimp, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms. Because they’re deep fried, they come out crispy. Wrap them in a fresh piece of lettuce and dip them in Vietnamese Dipping Sauce. The author shares two tips here: brush the rice paper with beer, and soften dry rice paper before rolling, the second one a family secret. Ingredients 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 carrots, small dice 6 green onions, thinly sliced 1/2 head small cabbage, thinly sliced 4–5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, diced 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined 4 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 pound crab meat 1 egg, white and yolk separated 1 package large Vietnamese rice paper (sold at Vietnamese markets) 100–250 ml beer Olive or vegetable oil, for frying How to make chả giò 1. Make the filling Blanch the cabbage and put it into an ice bath. Drain it and squeeze out the excess water. In a large bowl, mix the garlic, carrots, green onions and cabbage. Chop the shrimp into small pieces. Add the shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper to the large bowl and mix. Add the crab meat and egg white and combine evenly. 2. Roll Put 2 tablespoons of filling in the centre of a rice paper. Brush a little beer around the rice paper and fold in the two sides, so the filling doesn’t fall out while you roll and fry. Brush a little egg yolk on the last corner of the rice paper before you finish rolling, so the roll sticks together. The beer is there to make the chả giò crispier. If your rice paper is dry and keeps breaking as you roll, brush the whole surface to make it more pliable, but don’t brush too much, because that can also make it break. Or, to be safer, wrap all the rice papers in banana leaf for 1 to 2 hours before rolling to soften them. The author strongly suggests this. 3. Deep fry Pour olive or vegetable oil into the pan to a depth of 2cm and heat it over medium heat. Deep fry the chả giò at 350°F for 4–5 minutes, or until golden brown. This step takes some care. Eat them wrapped in lettuce with Vietnamese dipping sauce. Share:
