Vietnamese prawn summer rolls

Fresh-tasting rice paper rolls packed with shellfish, light vermicelli noodles, carrots, cucumber and herbs, with a sweet ginger chilli dipping sauce

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 small red chilli (deseeded if you don’t like it too hot), finely chopped 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce juice 1 lime

FOR THE ROLLS

100g vermicelli rice noodle or bean thread noodles

12 x 20cm round rice paper wrappers (see tip, below) handful mint leaves

18 cooked prawns, cut in half lengthways

2-3 large iceberg lettuce leaves, torn into 12 pieces

1 carrot, cut into thin batons a handful coriander a handful Thai basil a handful long chives

50g beansprout

1

Make the dipping sauce by pounding the garlic, chilli, ginger and sugar together using a pestle and mortar, then stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Alternatively, just blitz everything together in a mini blender.

2

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water for 15 mins, then drain well. Assemble all the prepared filling ingredients – once you start, you will need everything to hand. 3

When you are ready to make the rolls, dip one of the rice papers in a bowl of hot water, moving it around until the whole wrapper is soft – about 10-15 secs – then drain on a tea towel.

4

Place a rice paper wrapper on a board and at one edge of the wrapper, add a few mint leaves, then three prawn halves.

5

Place some lettuce on top of the prawns, followed by some noodles, a few strips of carrot and cucumber, some more herbs and finally some beansprouts. Don’t overfill the pancakes or they will be hard to roll.

6

Lift the edge of the rice paper wrapper nearest to you over the filling and, holding the filling in position with your fingers, start rolling up tightly.

7

When you’re about halfway, fold the ends of the rice paper in