Poached prawns, ripe mango and a fistful of soft herbs wrapped in rice paper, with nuoc cham and a hoisin peanut sauce to dip them in. The mango is what makes these work, sweet and slippery against the salt of the prawns and the fish sauce. There is a bit of assembly involved, and it goes quickly once you find the rhythm. Make them on a warm afternoon and eat them standing at the bench. Pick up your prawns, mango and herbs at Queen Victoria Market, delivered to your door or via Click & Collect!
Makes 12 rolls, serves 6. Feeding 3? Halve everything except the sauces.
Ingredients
Rolls
- 150g rice vermicelli noodles
- 18 raw prawns, peeled and deveined
- 12 rice paper sheets
- 1 ripe mango, cheeks removed, peeled and sliced
- 3 cups mixed soft herbs (Thai basil, coriander and mint)
- 12 oak lettuce leaves
Nuoc cham
- ¼ cup (60ml) fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red birdseye chilli, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon coriander, chopped
- Juice of ½ lime
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
Hoisin and peanut sauce
- ½ cup (125ml) hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup (70g) peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons roasted cashews, chopped
Method
Rolls
- Cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes, stirring now and then, until tender. Lift out with a slotted spoon, refresh under cold water and drain well. The cold water stops them cooking and keeps them from setting into one solid clump.
- Bring the same water back to a boil, take it off the heat, then add the prawns. Leave for 3 minutes, until they curl and turn pink. Poaching them off the heat is gentler than boiling and keeps them tender.
- Lift the prawns onto a board and cut each one in half lengthways. Let them cool completely. Flat halves sit neatly in the roll and show through the wrapper.
- Fill a large shallow bowl with warm water. Dip one rice paper sheet for 15 to 20 seconds, until pliable but still a little firm to the touch.
- Lay it on a clean tea towel. It keeps softening as it sits, so pull it out while it still has some body. A fully soft sheet will tear as soon as you start rolling.
- Place a little mango along the bottom third. Lay 3 prawn halves just above it, cut side down, so they show through the finished roll. Top with ¼ cup of herbs, a small nest of noodles and a lettuce leaf.
- Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll it up. Keep it firm but not tight. Rice paper has very little give and will split if you pull.
- Set each finished roll on a plate without letting it touch the others, and cover with a damp tea towel as you work. They stick to each other within minutes and tear when you pull them apart.
- Repeat to make 12 rolls.
Nuoc cham
- Whisk the fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chilli, coriander and water together until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the lime juice.
Hoisin and peanut sauce
- Whisk the hoisin, peanut butter, caster sugar, lime juice and water until smooth, then stir through the cashews.
Serve the rolls with both sauces alongside. They are best eaten the day they are made.
Adapted from Curtis Stone
