Nem Recipes

VIETNAMESE FRIED SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Soak dried wood-ear mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes or until rehydrated, then julienne. Soak glass noodles in room-temperature for about 20 minutes. Once softened, cut noodles into shorter pieces, about 2-3 inch long.
• Chop shrimps into smaller pieces but not too small. Place shrimp pieces and ground pork in a mixing bowl. Then add julienned wood-ear mushroom, beansprouts, carrot, glass noodles, shallots, salt, pepper and fish sauce. Give everything a quick mix. Then add 2 eggs and mix well to combine.
• Before wrapping the rolls, you can fry a small piece of filling to see if it is seasoned to taste and adjust if needed.
• To a small bowl, add about 1 cup of water and a few drops of rice vinege (about 1/8-3/16 teaspoon). Place a spring roll wrapper on a clean surface and use your fingertips to dab some water from the bowl to wet the wrapper.
• Once the wrapper sheet is pliable, place about 2½ tablespoons of filling near the top part of the sheet. Form the filling into a log shape, then fold the left and right sides of the rice paper over the filling. Fold the top part of the sheet over and then roll it up away from you. Set aside. Continue to wrap until you have used up all the filling.
• Place a frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, heat a generous amount of oil. When the oil is hot, add the spring rolls and fry in a single layer. You may need to increase the heat slightly after adding the rolls to ensure the oil is hot and bubbling (not too vigorously). Fry for 4-5 minutes until the outside is lightly golden, flip once or twice. Transfer to a wired rack or place on paper towel briefly to absorb excess oil.
• Let the rolls cool down for 5-10 minutes. Then heat the oil again over medium heat and fry the rolls the second time. This time, use a slightly higher heat than the first time to crisp them up. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the outside is deep golden and crispy. Transfer to a wired rack or place on paper towel briefly to absorb excess oil before serving.
• Serve right away with noodles, lettuce, fresh herbs and dressing.

AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS (NEM RAN HAY CHA GIO)

Steps:

• Soak rice noodles in cold water until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain well; cut into 2-inch long pieces.
• Combine the noodle pieces, chicken, shrimp, eggs, carrot, wood fungus mushrooms, and green onions in a large bowl. Sprinkle in sugar, salt, and black pepper; stir filling mixture well.
• Soak 1 rice paper wrapper in a shallow bowl of warm water to soften, about 15 seconds. Remove from water and place on a damp cloth laid out on a flat surface.
• Place 1 tablespoon of filling mixture into the center of the softened rice paper. Fold the bottom edge into the center, covering the filling. Fold in opposing edges and roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining rice paper wrappers, soaking and filling each one individually.
• Heat oil in a work or large skillet over medium heat.
• Fry the spring rolls in batches of 3 or 4 until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

NEM NUONG (VIETNAMESE SAUSAGE)

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• Set a cast-iron pan over medium heat, and add rice. Cook, swirling and stirring constantly, until rice turns a deep golden color, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a small heatproof bowl and allow to cool. Use a spice or coffee grinder to grind cooled rice into a fine powder.
• Place rice powder, sugar, pepper, salt, baking powder, fish sauce and garlic in a large bowl, and stir to combine.
• Add pork to the bowl, and using your hands, mix thoroughly for 1 full minute.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon of pork mixture to make a small, thin sausage patty. Add a teaspoon or so of oil, and cook the patty for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Taste, and if needed, add salt or any other seasonings to the uncooked sausage mixture, and mix to combine.
• Divide and roll the remaining sausage into 8 3-inch logs, skewering lengthwise and placing on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to come together. (Sausages can be made ahead and covered and refrigerated or frozen at this point until ready to use.)
• To cook, wipe out cast-iron pan, and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When it shimmers, add sausages in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook, rotating every 2 minutes, until browned on the surface and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.
• Drain sausages on paper towels, and serve hot.

FRIED VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS (NEM) RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix together all the ingredients for the Spring roll mixture in a large bowl. Mix well until completely mixed together.
• Roll the spring rolls with the rice paper. You can use water, egg whites, or beer to roll the spring roll. To roll the spring rolls you must moist the paper.
• Fry the Spring Roll for about 10 minutes, or until cooked very well.
• Mix and prepare the spring roll dipping sauce in a separate bowl. Mix together very well.
• Prepare the rice noodles (if dried prepare as per the instructions on the package)
• Wash and cut the salad into small piece-size pieces. Can mix all the vegetables together
• Serve the fried spring rolls with the spring rolls dipping sauce, rice noodles, and spring roll salad.

NEMS

Steps:

• 1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a medium-sized bowl and reserve.
• 2. Place the aziki in a small bowl and cover with 1/4 cup warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then drain, reserving the soaking water.
• 3. Place the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and completely cover with boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes then drain and pat dry.
• 4. Place 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, carrots, and turnips and then add the aziki along with the reserved 1/4 cup water. Stir, cover and let cook until the carrots and turnips are beginning to turn tender, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure the vegetables aren't sticking to the pan and adding additional water if necessary. Be careful to not add too much water, you don't want the vegetables to be soggy. Add the cabbage, stir, cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and taste for seasoning. Transfer the vegetables to a medium-sized bowl.
• 5. Dice the shiitake mushrooms and add them to the vegetables.
• 6. Place one rice wrapper in a pan of very warm water and let it sit until it is pliable, about 2 minutes. Transfer it to a tea towel set on a work surface, pat it dry, and place about 1/4 cup of filling in the bottom third of the wrapper. Lay several cilantro leaves atop the filling. Working quickly and carefully, roll up the bottom edge to enclose the filling, pressing on it gently. Fold the edges of the rice wrapper over the ends of the roll to completely enclose the filling, then continue rolling from the bottom to make a nice, firm rectangular roll. Place the roll, seam side down, in a dish and continue with the remaining rice wrappers and filling.
• 7. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place as many nems as will fit easily into the pan leaving a bit of room around them and cook until they are golden and crisp on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total.
• 8. Remove the nems from the heat and set them briefly on paper towels to absorb any excess oil, then transfer to a serving platter. Arrange the fresh mint leaves around the nems and serve, with the sauce on the side.

NEM

Steps:

• 1. Mix the meat with green onions, carrots, garlic, coriander, and soy sauce in medium mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine. 2. Add noodles to the stuffing. Mix well. 3. Soak each sheet of rice in warm water for about 15 seconds to soften. This must be done, one at a time. Do not soak all the papers at once. Remove rice paper from water and spread on a damp cloth that you have placed flat on your work surface. (Rice paper should be pliable, not hard.) 4. Put 1-2 tablespoons of filling on each rice paper sheet and roll away from yourself. Once you arrive at the middle, fold each side (right and left) of the nem towards the center (as for a spring roll) and finish the roll. Take care to compress the filling in the nem as you go, so as not to leave trapped air which could explode when cooked. 5. After all nem are rolled, fry in hot oil (200-250 degrees fahrenheit), a first time for 3-5 minutes to fully harden them and make them crisp. Ensure that you leave plenty of space around the nem while they are frying. I can fry about 4-5 at a time in my wok. Your pan may hold more, but ensure they are not crowded. 6. Then, fry the nem a second time until they are golden and cooked through (5-10 minutes). 7. Serve with nuoc cham and/or sweet chili dipping sauce.