Gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

I made some very delicious gỏi cuốn for GA, who has turned 6-0h, woo hoo! This is the second time I've made her vegetarian Vietnamese fresh spring/summer rolls. I wanna post the recipe so you guys can give it a try (and a reminder for me :-) It's a lot of fun making these rolls. Lots of variations, but the below recipe, I chose meat for my stuffing. If you're a vegan, try the fried tofu with mints and bean sprout. Most important of all is the sauce. I am still learning how to make better hoisin sauce myself, so Good Luck!

Ingredients for the rolls
* Rice paper sheets
* Small package rice vermicelli
* Cooked lean pork loin
* Cooked shrimps
* Bean sprouts
* Cilantro
* Basil leaves
* Lettuce
* Cucumber

Ingredients for the sauce
* Hoi Sin sauce (you can buy the sauce at the local asian food store)
* Coconut milk
* Rice vinegar
* Crunched roasted peanuts
* Mayo (my latest addition to the sauce and it actually tasted good)

Preparation of the filling
(1) Cut the cooked pork into small strips
(2) Heat up the shrimps over water vapor. Peel them, remove the head, legs and the intestine part (dark black line on the back of the shrimp)
(3) Cut the cucumber into halfmoons
(4) Cook and drain the vermicellli
(5) Wash the herbs and put everything on a big plate

For the sauce
Mix about 2/3 cup of the hoisin sauce with 1/3 cup coconut milk. Add a sprinkle of rice vinegar. For the serving garnish with the roasted peanuts.

Now wet the rice paper and put it on your plate. Add a bit of the vermicelli, herbs, meat, shrimp, cucumber and bean sprouts on your sheet and start to roll it carefully. Fold it from both sides and roll it again. This takes a bit of gentleness because shortly after the rice paper is dipped in the water, it' becomes extremely soft and fragile. Once you learn to fold it, you'll want to make lots.

Now dip it in your hoisin sauce and bon appetite! Some people like to eat it spicy. So for those who like it spicy you can add to the hoisin sauce some of the hot chili sauce (so good, tears are running down my face :-) I don't cook often, like my mom does. I make my dinners and lunches depending what's left in my space of the fridge, which is a small lower cabinet. Another of my never ending housemate issue.

If I'm unclear, check this professional site recipe. Enjoy!