What are Gỏi Cuốn?
Gỏi means salad, cuốn means roll. A Vietnamese summer roll is a salad in rice paper. In southern Vietnam, slices of boiled pork belly often go in next to the shrimp. Fried spring rolls such as Chả Giò have a crisp wrapper. With Gỏi Cuốn the rice paper stays soft and translucent, and you can see the pink shrimp through it.
How to soak rice paper
Rice paper, called Bánh Tráng in Vietnamese, is usually made from rice flour, tapioca starch, water and salt. Buy round sheets 22 cm (9 in) across, which leaves room for the filling and herbs. Pull each sheet through lukewarm water for just 2 to 3 seconds. It still feels firm afterwards and turns soft on the board within half a minute. If it sits in the water longer, it sticks to the board and tears when you roll. Work on a damp wooden board or a clean kitchen towel, because the sheet sticks to smooth surfaces.
The filling for summer rolls
- Rice noodles: Use thin vermicelli, called Bún in Vietnamese. Rinse them cold after cooking and let them drain, because wet noodles soften the paper. You can find types and cooking times under rice noodles.
- Shrimp: Halve the cooked shrimp lengthwise. Cut side facing inward, they lie flat against the paper.
- Herbs: Mint and cilantro form the base, and Thai basil adds a hint of anise. In Vietnam, cooks roll in garlic chives instead of regular chives, which you can get at an Asian grocery store.
How to roll summer rolls
First lay a lettuce leaf on the lower third, then noodles, cucumber, carrot and herbs on top. Fold the bottom edge tightly over the filling and roll half a turn. Now lay three shrimp halves in a row next to it, fold in the sides and roll to the end. The lettuce leaf protects the paper from sharp noodle ends. It is better to underfill: a roll 3 to 4 cm (about 1.5 in) thick is three bites. If a sheet tears, wrap the finished roll in a second, freshly soaked sheet. For 12 rolls, expect about 30 minutes the first time, and less with practice.
The dip for summer rolls
For the southern Vietnamese dip, stir 4 tbsp hoisin sauce with 2 tbsp peanut butter and 3 to 4 tbsp warm water until the sauce flows smoothly. Top with chopped peanuts and a few chili slices. An alternative is peanut sauce or Nước Chấm, the light sauce of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and water. The rolls are only gluten-free with gluten-free hoisin sauce, since most brands contain wheat.
Variations and make-ahead
- Vegetarian: Replace the shrimp with firm tofu, cut into strips and pan-fried. For the dip use the hoisin peanut sauce, since Nước Chấm contains fish.
- With pork: Boil 200 g pork belly in salted water for 25 minutes, let it cool and slice it thinly.
- Japanese version: You fill Nama Harumaki with salmon and avocado.
If you want to make the rolls 2 to 3 hours ahead, place them on a plate with space between them and cover with a damp cloth. In the fridge the rice paper turns tough.
