I may not know how to make a lot of Vietnamese dishes, most of which are too complicated to be included in a minimalist cookbook, but I do know how to make summer rolls, one of the simplest Vietnamese recipes.
Now the term for these rolls is quite debatable. I like to call them summer rolls, but they're also referred to as spring rolls. I'm still searching for a definitive English translation for these "gỏi cuốn," but let's not worry too much about the name and start worrying about to make them.
Ingredients:
-Shrimp
-Rice paper (bánh tráng)
-Rice vermicelli (bún)
-Lettuce
Other ingredients you can use for the summer roll:
-Tofu and bean sprouts (for a vegetarian roll)
-Herbs (mint, basil, etc.)
-Cucumbers
-Pickled vegetables
-Salmon/other fish
-Pork belly
-Etc.
P.S. I have never written a cookbook, so take these instructions with a grain of salt.
1. Dampen a whole sheet of rice paper with water
2. Place the rice paper on a flat surface
3. Layer lettuce and rice vermicelli on the rice paper edge closest to you
4. Place shrimp side-by-side on the opposite edge
5. Start rolling rice paper from the edge closest to you to the top. When you get towards the middle, fold in the sides and continue rolling until the end.
6. Enjoy with peanut sauce or fish sauce (nước mắm), whichever you prefer
Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
-Water
-Peanut Butter
-Hoisin
1. Microwave a tablespoon of water and a spoonful of peanut butter together, so the peanut butter melts
2. Stir in a spoonful of hoisin sauce for a one-to-one ratio of peanut butter and hoisin sauce
3. Adjust accordingly
Enjoy (and let me know if you could follow those instructions)!
