Rice Paper Rolls with Prawns and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

• 400g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 16 rice paper wrappers (22cm)
• 100g rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated
• 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced into rings
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 tbsp tamari
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced into rings, to serve
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to serve
• 2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve
• nuoc chăm dipping sauce, to serve
• pickled daikon and carrot (đồ chua), to serve
• extra butter lettuce leaves, for wrapping, to serve

Method

1. Cover the rice vermicelli noodles with boiling water in a large heatproof bowl and leave for 4–5 minutes until tender and translucent. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop them clumping, and set aside.
2. Toss the prawns with the grated garlic, sesame oil, lime zest and lime juice. Season generously with salt and pepper — the marinade is short, so the salt needs to land now.
3. Heat a frying pan over a high heat until properly hot. Cook the prawns in two batches, in a single layer — crowd them and they'll steam in their own juices instead of catching colour. Two to three minutes, turning once, until pink, curled and lightly charred at the edges. The garlic on the prawns should smell fragrant and just turn pale gold; any darker and it'll go bitter, so keep them moving. Lift onto a plate to cool slightly.
4. Whisk the tamari, rice wine vinegar, chilli rings, grated garlic, sesame oil, sugar and lime juice together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Taste it — you want salty, sour, sweet and hot all pulling their weight. Adjust with more lime juice or a pinch more sugar until it sings.
5. Set up a rolling station: a wide shallow dish of warm (not hot) water, and the noodles, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, mint, coriander and prawns in separate piles on your board. Rolling goes fast once you start.
6. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 10–15 seconds — pull it out while it's still slightly stiff. It carries on softening on the board, and a fully-soft wrapper tears the second you try to roll it. Lay flat on a clean, damp surface.
7. Place a lettuce leaf in the centre, then layer a small bundle of noodles, a few sticks of cucumber and carrot, 2–3 prawns pink-side down (so they show through the finished roll), and a generous pinch of mint and coriander leaves on top.
8. Fold the sides of the wrapper in over the filling, then roll tightly from the bottom up, keeping the tension firm — a loose roll splits when you dip it. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
9. Plate the rolls seam-side down on a large platter, scatter over the toasted sesame seeds and the fresh chilli rings, and tuck the lime wedges and extra butter lettuce leaves alongside for wrapping. Squeeze a lime wedge over the platter just before it hits the table — the acid wakes the herbs back up after rolling.