Easy Vietnamese Rolls
One of the answers to a stress free dinner party is to ask your guests to make their own food. For this recipe, you simply prepare little bowls with different raw ingredients which your guests then use to make their own Vietnamese rolls. No cooking is required, and although the list of ingredients may look rather too healthy, the end result is nothing short of delicious.
Prepare bowls of:
carrot - grated
cucumber - thin strips
iceberg lettuce - thin strips
unsalted peanuts - chopped
herbs - mint is a must, basil and coriander (cilantro) are optional - finely chopped
rice vermicelli (optional) - cooked as per packet instructions
hoisin sauce - mix 50-50 crunchy peanut butter and hoisin sauce with a little hot water til smooth
dipping sauce - mix a dash of nam pla fish sauce with juice of a lime, 2 tbsp water, minced garlic clove, 2 tsp sugar, dash of chili sauce or chopped fresh red chili.
prawns (shrimp) - pre-cooked
rice papers / wrappers - you can buy these at Asian shops
shallow dish of hot water
Each guest takes a rice paper and dips it into the hot water for a minute. It is then laid out flat on a plate and a little hoi sin sauce applied to the centre. In a row across the centre, fill the rice paper with any of the ingredients. It's best to take a tiny amount of everything or the roll won't fold. Fold the edges in on each side and roll the paper tightly. It should stick together, if not, there's either too much stuffing in it or the paper was left in the water too long.
Dunk the Vietnamese rolls into the dipping sauce, eat and repeat the process til stomachs are full.
NB: You can substitute the prawns for lightly poached or steamed chicken, or have both.