Banh Cuon for a Vietnamese Feature in Nourish Magazine
While traditionally the dish is made with freshly steamed thin rice paper pastry, store-bought fresh rice noodle sheets are just as good. They are available from the refrigerated section of most Asian grocers. Dried shiitake mushrooms can be substituted with about one-and-a-half cups of finely sliced button mushrooms if you prefer. If you can't find rice noodles, serve the mixture in lettuce leaves. Baby cos (romaine) leaves are perfect for this.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 20 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- ⅛ cup macadamia peanut or olive oil
- 3 small garlic cloves crushed
- ½ small red onion diced finely
- 250 g minced pork
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste, optional
- 3 rolls fresh Banh Cuon rice noodles
To serve:
- A few sprigs Thai basil
- Fried shallots look for a gluten-free version
Instructions
- Cover shiitake mushrooms with hot water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain water and chop the mushrooms finely.
- Heat half the oil in a large pan set over medium heat and fry off onion and garlic until fragrant. Increase heat to medium high and remaining oil and pork. Working with a metal whisk or wooden spoon, break the pork into small granules as it cooks. Add mushrooms and fish sauce and stir fry to combine and for the meat to finish cooking. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, to taste, if using. Set aside while you prepare the pastry.
- To prepare the pastry, steam each roll for 3 minutes or microwave on high for 20 seconds. Transfer to a sheet of making paper and unroll the pastry. Cut the sheet into two rectangles. Place about ¼ cup of the pork mixture near the closest edge of the pastry, then roll up. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
- Serve with a few sprigs Thai basil and a good sprinkling of fried shallots.
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