Vietnamese spring rolls with raw fish and herbs

During our trip to Vietnam, we had lunch at a restaurant where we made our own spring rolls: on the table were rice paper wrappers, julienned raw vegetables, rice noodles, and plenty of fresh herbs. It was fun, and above all, delicious and very fresh. This version, which combines raw fish with aromatic herbs, is a culinary experience we really enjoyed. Served with homemade Nuoc Mam sauce, these spring rolls make a unique appetizer or starter. Discover how to make these delicious, naturally gluten-free spring rolls.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Total time 35 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For spring rolls:
300g ( of raw fish sashimi quality fish or fresh sea bream/sea bass, which has been frozen for at least 24 hours)
12 cakes rice
100g vermicelli of cooked and cooled rice
1/2 cucumber, cut into julienne strips
2 carrots, cut into julienne
1 green onion, cut into julienne strips
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 bunch of fresh coriander or basil
A few lettuce leaves, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons of crushed peanuts (optional, for a crunchy texture)
For the Nuoc Mam sauce:
4 tbsp gluten-free fish sauce
2 tablespoons of rice or cider vinegar
1 tsp of brown sugar or honey
1 chili pepper , finely chopped (optional)
1 clove of garlic, grated
2 tablespoons of lime juice
4 . Water cubes
1 juice lemon (for marinating the fish)

Preparation

1
To prepare the sauce: In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar or honey, chili (if using), grated garlic, lemon juice, and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
2
Preparing the fish: Cut it into small pieces and marinate it for about thirty seconds in lemon juice.
3
Preparing the ingredients: Ensure all vegetables are cut and ready to use. Arrange the marinated raw fish, herbs, lettuce, and rice vermicelli in a way that facilitates assembly.
4
Hydrating rice paper wrappers: Fill a shallow dish with water. Dip a rice paper wrapper in the water for a few seconds until it becomes pliable, then place it on a clean, slightly damp work surface.
5
Assembling the spring rolls: Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom third of the rice paper. Add a few pieces of fish, a small handful of vermicelli noodles, strips of cucumber, scallions, and carrots, and a few mint and cilantro or basil leaves. Sprinkle with a few peanuts. Fold the sides of the rice paper towards the center, then roll tightly from bottom to top to form a tightly packed roll. I deliberately left one side open to recreate the spring rolls we had in Hanoi, but I must admit it's a bit harder to eat.
6
Repeat the process with the remaining pancakes until all the ingredients are used.
7
Serving: Arrange the spring rolls on a platter and serve them with Nuoc Mam sauce on the side.

Keywords: Fish and herb spring rolls, Vietnamese spring roll