Chả Giò — Crispy Ground Pork Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 1½ cups Carrots, finely julienned
• 2 oz glass noodles, soaked and cut short
• 6 dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and minced
• 1 cup jicama, julienned and squeezed dry
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 20 rice paper or spring roll wrappers
• 4 cups neutral oil, for frying
• 1 cup lettuce and herbs, to serve
• ½ cup nước chấm

Method

1. Mix the Ground Pork, Carrots, glass noodles, wood ear, jicama, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, egg, and pepper. Squeeze the jicama and Carrots dry first — wet filling steams the wrapper from the inside and it will never crisp.
2. If using rice paper, dip each sheet briefly in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in it; the sugar helps it brown.
3. Place a tablespoon of filling near one edge, fold the sides in, and roll tightly but not so tight that the filling has nowhere to expand.
4. Fry at 325°F (163°C) for 6 minutes until pale gold and cooked through, then drain and rest 10 minutes.
5. Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry again 2 minutes until deep amber and blistered. The filling should reach 160°F (71°C).
6. Serve wrapped in lettuce with herbs and nước chấm for dunking.