Tips for scrumptious Vietnamese fried spring roll

In this hub, I am going to share some tips from my 30-50 times making spring rolls.

Skip this part and jump to the tips part immediately if you already know what is spring roll.

Vietnamese spring rolls / nem / nem ran / cha gio is a fried roll of a mixture wrapped in rice papers. The mixture traditionally consists of pork, black fungus, shitake mushroom, glass noodle, carrot, onion, shallot, kohlrabi, eggs. That's traditional pork Nem but can be adjusted to several types such as crab rolls, shrimp rolls, veggie rolls.

Nem is a very popular Vietnamese dish. A dish of the rich and the poor; of special festivals or daily life, of the North and the South.

It's a popular dish yet not many people make it right. In this hub, I am going to share some tips from my 30-50 times making it. Some I learnt from family, friends; some is from my experience.

Always use freshly ground lightly toast pepper, don't be lazy, it makes the different.

Mix in two rounds

First: with minced pork and chopped shallot to season the meat
Second: after having a ingredients together

Mix ingredients together but don't squeeze. It will cause soggy, mushy stuffing. You want to bind them together not blend them. You want then to be one yet remaining individuals so you can play the guessing game.

Use 2-3 thin rice paper so create more layer. This would make a lightly crispy outer covering (skin) which crushed easily in with a squeeze and melting in your mouth.

If you use 1 thin rice paper, you'll likely end up with not-crispy outer.
If you use thick rice paper, you'll spend time chewing the tough skin, not enjoyable.

• Frying in two rounds for a crispy nem:
  first round in small medium heat to cook the stuffing
  second round, before serving, in medium high heat to crisp the skin
• Leave some big chunk of carrot or kohlrabi (not too big, not so many) so it will still be crunchy after frying
• If possible, chop pork shoulder instead of mincing
• Mix some vinegar and caramelised sugar into dipping bowl for rice paper. This will make the skin crispier and colour beautifully.
• Be in control of the egg.
  Too much, The mixture is soggy, not a crispy skin for long
  Too little, It fails to bind ingredients

It's just too much but for a serious cook you might want to know.