Gỏi Cuốn
Gỏi Cuốn·(goy koon)
Cuốn Lại: Weekend Wraps & Interactive Tables
If phở is the food of comforting solitude, gỏi cuốn is the loud, glorious chaos of the family table. The secret to making these taste exactly like the ones you remember isn't in some complex culinary sleight-of-hand; it’s all in the prep. Vietnamese grandmothers know that plain boiled meat is a tragedy. They poach the pork and shrimp in an aromatic bath, then violently shock them in ice water to lock in a perfect, snappy crunch. Throw the piles of fresh herbs and properly cooked proteins in the center of the table, pass around the warm water, and let everyone roll their own.
Ingredients
- pork belly1 lb
- medium raw shrimp1 lb
- salt1 tsp
- sugar1 tsp
- shallots2 med
- ginger1 small knob
- rice vinegar1 tbsp plus 1 tsp
- dried rice vermicelli12 oz
- butter lettuce1 head
- English cucumber1 med
- fresh mint1 bunch
- fresh Thai basil1 bunch
- garlic chives1 bunch
- rice paper wrappers1 package
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- garlic2 small clove
- hoisin sauce1/2 cup
- smooth peanut butter1/4 cup
- crushed roasted peanuts1 tbsp
- sambal oelek1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Poach and shock the pork belly.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add half of the salt, sugar, shallots, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar. Gently lower in the pork belly, simmer for 30-35 minutes until tender, then immediately plunge it into a large bowl of ice water to tighten the meat and give it a perfect crunch. Once cooled, slice it as thinly as humanly possible, reserving 1/2 cup of the boiling liquid for the sauce.
- 02
Cook and shock the shrimp.
In a separate pot, boil water with the remaining salt, sugar, shallots, and ginger. Boil the shrimp in their shells for exactly 2-3 minutes to get that brilliant crimson color, plunge them into the ice bath, then peel and carefully slice each one in half lengthwise so they lay flat.
- 03
Prepare the vermicelli noodles.
Boil the rice vermicelli according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess starch and prevent clumping.
- 04
Build the hoisin-peanut sauce.
Sauté the minced garlic in the neutral oil over medium heat for 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in the hoisin, peanut butter, and the reserved pork broth, simmering gently for 2-3 minutes until glossy, then finish off the heat with the remaining 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar and top with crushed peanuts and chili paste.
- 05
Set the interactive table and roll.
Give everyone a wide bowl of warm water to briefly dip a rice paper wrapper. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom third of the wrapper as a protective cradle, add a pinch of noodles and herbs, top with pork, and lay 3-4 shrimp halves flat on the bare wrapper above the lettuce. Fold the bottom up, tuck in the sides around a garlic chive, and roll tightly upwards so the pink shrimp take center stage through the translucent wrapper.
Notes
Protect the delicate wrapper.
Over-stuffing and sharp ingredients will ruin your rice paper. Always use the lettuce leaf as a base cradle to contain the sharp ends of the vermicelli and cucumbers.
Keep it fresh.
Rice paper is notoriously sensitive to humidity, and refrigerating these rolls causes the tapioca structure to crystallize into a hard, chewy mess. They are an ephemeral dish, best eaten immediately upon rolling.