Pork Entertaining Asian

Pork and shiitake spring rolls

Name: Spring rolls recipe
Yield: 20
Cuisine: /asian
Ingredients: 100g dried rice vermicelli noodles; 100ml canola oil, plus extra, to toss and deep-fry; 500g pork mince; 125g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced; 2 medium carrots, coarsely grated; 60g bean sprout; 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 long green shallots, thinly sliced on the diagonal; 60ml oyster sauce; 210.00 ml kecap manis; 3 tsp fish sauce; Juice of 1 lime; 20 x 25cm frozen spring roll pastry squares, thawed; 1/4 unpeeled banana, to seal; Sweet chilli sauce or sambal oelek (Indonesian chilli sauce, from Asian grocers and selected supermarkets), to serve

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by Lara Lee

CHEF, COOKBOOK AUTHOR

Dec 16, 2024

“Making spring rolls with my family is a Lunar New Year tradition passed down from Popo, my Indonesian grandmother. Her recipe always used kecap manis for its deeply savoury umami flavour and hint of caramel sweetness. The golden, crispy rolls resemble gold bars, symbolising wealth and prosperity for the year to come. If making in advance, freeze uncooked rolls in a single layer to prevent sticking. Cook for 6-7 minutes from frozen, until golden.” – Lara Lee

100g dried rice vermicelli noodles
100ml canola oil, plus extra, to toss and deep-fry
500g pork mince
125g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
3/4 cup (60g) bean sprouts, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 long green shallots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup (60ml) oyster sauce
21/2 tbs kecap manis
3 tsp fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
20 x 25cm frozen spring roll pastry squares, thawed
1/4 unpeeled banana, to seal
Sweet chilli sauce or sambal oelek (Indonesian chilli sauce, from Asian grocers and selected supermarkets), to serve

Method

1.

Place noodles in a medium heatproof bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Soak for 10 minutes, or until softened (or follow packet instructions). Drain, toss in a little oil to prevent sticking, roughly chop with scissors and set aside.
2.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs oil in a large frypan over high heat. Cook mince, breaking up with a spatula, for 5 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
3.

In the same pan, heat another 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the carrot and sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the garlic and stir-fry for a further 1 minute. Return mince to pan with the noodles and shallots, then stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the oyster sauce, kecap manis, fish sauce and lime juice, and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until well combined. Set aside to cool.
4.

Lay a clean cloth over the spring roll pastry squares to prevent them from drying out. Line a tray with baking paper. Line a second tray with paper towels. Place a square of spring roll pastry on a chopping board, facing you like a diamond. Scoop 2 tbs filling onto the bottom third of the wrapper. Roll the bottom corner of the diamond up over the filling, then continue rolling until you reach the middle. Fold in the left and right corners, then rub the flesh of the 1/4 banana along the edges of the exposed top corner of the diamond, to act as ‘glue’ for the spring roll. Finish rolling up the rest of the wrapper until completely sealed. Place spring roll on tray with baking paper, and keep covered with a clean cloth until ready to cook. Repeat with more wrappers until all the filling is used up.
5.

Add enough oil to a large saucepan to fill one-third full and heat to 160°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 3 minutes when the oil is hot enough). Carefully lower 4-6 spring rolls into the hot oil, without overcrowding. Deep-fry for 4-6 minutes, until golden all over. Transfer to the paper towel-lined tray to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with remaining spring rolls.
6.

Serve immediately, with sweet chilli sauce or sambal oelek for dipping.