Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Vietnamese rice paper rolls are great for taking as finger food for a party as they travel well.  They are perfect for a day or evening picnic and packed with great fresh ingredients. Once you get the hang of rolling them, they become faster to assemble. Think about these for your Melbourne Cup luncheon or car park picnic at the races.

VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS

Prep: 20 mins + marinating time
Cook: 30 mins
Makes: 12 rolls (4 serves)

Ingredients

• 400g / 1lb of chicken thigh fillets
• ½ cup of char siu sauce
• 100g of rice vermicelli noodles
• 12 x 22cm / 8 inch rice paper sheets
• 1 cup of iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup of carrot, grated
• 1 cup of picked coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 1 cup of fresh mint, picked

Dipping sauce

• ¼ cup of hoisin sauce
• 40 ml / 2 tbsp of milk
• 2 tbsp of peanuts, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Marinate the chicken thighs in the char siu sauce and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. When ready to cook the chicken, heat the barbeque or hot plate to a medium to high temperature and cook the chicken for 4–5 minutes on each size.
3. Leave chicken to cool, then slice.
4. Cook the rice noodles to packet instructions then allow to cool.
5. Place a damp, lint-free tea towel on the bench to use for assembly.
6. Put some warm water in a shallow wide bowl large enough to hold the rice paper sheets.
7. Pass the rice paper through the warm water a few times, then place flat on the damp tea towel. Repeat for about 6 sheets at a time.
8. Place a small serve of the rice noodles at one end of each sheet (closest to you), then add some chicken, lettuce, carrot, coriander and mint.
9. To wrap the rolls, roll the end with the ingredients over top of the fillings, then fold in each side.
10. Add a single leaf of coriander (or mint) close to the top of each roll, and then roll each one tightly away from you. This will ensure the coriander appears on the top of each roll.
11. Repeat until you have used up all the rice paper sheets.
12. To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside until ready to serve. Refrigerate if not using for a few hours.
13. To keep the rolls from sticking together, place washed and dried lettuce leaves between layers of the rolls, or store in a single layer without the rolls touching each other. A damp paper towel is also useful to help stop them drying out.