The first dish that Brian O'Driscoll cooked in the SABA Cooking Masterclass was Goi Cuon.
GOI CUON
Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
- 300g chicken or tofu(v)
- 75g vermicelli noodles
- 8 pieces rice paper
- 50g bean sprouts
- 100g carrots, shredded
- 100g iceberg lettuce, finely sliced
- 8g mint leaves, roughly torn
- 10g sweet basil leaves, roughly torn
- 1dsp sunflower oil
For the dip:
- 100g white sugar
- 100ml vinegar
- ½ sp salt
- 25ml water
- 15ml hot chilli sauce
- 1 dsp peanuts, crushed
To make the spring rolls:
- Bring two large saucepans of water to the boil. Soak teh vermicelli noodles for 25 minutes in cold water, until soft and drain. Put the noodles in a saucepan and boil for 1 minute ; strain, run under cold water to prevent further cooking and keep to one side.
- In the other saucepan, cook the bean sprouts until soft, about 1 minute; strain, run under cold water. Cut the chicken fillets into thin strips 4cm x 2cm, or if you are using tofu, cut into strips, 4cm x 2 cm. Heat the wok with the oil, add the chicken or tofu and toss until cooked, approximately 4 minutes for chicken, 2-3 for tofu.
- Dip the rice paper into boiling water, one piece at a time, for about 5 seconds and remove with a tongs before placing individually on a wet tea-towel and flatten. Layer a little of each of the ingredients horizontally in the centre of the rice paper starting with the noodles followed by the carrots, bean sprouts, lettuce, mint and basil leaves leaving a 1-2cm edge on each side and 5cm at the top and bottom. Finish with the chicken or tofu on top and then roll it away from you, folding in both sides before you start.
To make the dip:
- Put the sugar, vinegar, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil and reduce it until it begins to thicken. Let it cool slightly.
- Pour a little of the dip into small individual serving dishes, add some hot chilli sauce and sprinkle the crushed peanuts on top.
To serve:
- Put 2 rolls on each plate with some iceberg lettuce, fresh mint and a little dipping sauce on the side.
Tip: When you are shopping for rice paper, be careful that there are no crumbs in the packet, which would indicate that they are dry, and would crack when you are rolling them. These rolls can be made a few hours ahead of time. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and cling film but keep them at room temperature until ready to serve.
