Spring Rolls and Fried Fish

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (from The Food and Cooking of Vietnam and Cambodia):  These were really good.  Soak 2 oz bean thread (cellophane) noodles in warm water for 20 minutes.  Soak 1 oz dried mushrooms (we used shiitake) in warm water for 15 minutes.  Squeeze dry the noodles and chop them into small pieces.  Squeeze dry and mushrooms and chop.  Beat 2 eggs and stir in 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 cloves garlic (chopped) and 2 tsp sugar.  Add 1 finely chopped onion, 3 sliced scallions, noodles, mushrooms, 1 1/2 cup ground pork, and 1 1/2 cup cooked crab meat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then dip one rice paper into a bowl of water and place on a damp towel.  Spoon 1 tbsp of mixture on to side neartest you,, just in from the edge.  Fold the nearest edge over the filling, fold over sides, tucking them in neatly.  Then roll the entire wrapper into a tight cylinder.  Place on a plate and cover with saran wrap to keep it moist.  Makes 30.  Heat wok or pan with oil for frying.  Cook in batches, draining them on paper towels.  Serve immediately.

Hanoi Fried Fish with Dill (from The Food and Cooking of Vietnam and Cambodia):  Mix 2/3 cup rice flour and 1 1/2 tsp ground tumeric.  Toss 1 pound cod (cut into chunks) in flour mixture.  (After tasting the first batch we added salt to the fish before cooking, much better)  Fry in peanut oil.  In another pan heat 1 tbsp peanut oil.  Stir fry 2 tbsp roasted peanuts.  Add the following all at once:  2 sliced scallions, a bunch of chopped basil, coriander and dill fronds.  Stir fry 30 seconds.  Pour over fish.  Serve with rice.  We made the rice from the same cookbook.  Wash and drain 1 cup long grained rice.  Put in pot with 2 1/2 cups water (to cover by 1 inch) and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep covered another 10 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

We made 2 sauces for the spring rolls.  The first was really good and tasted like what you would get in a vietnamese restaurant:   Nước chấm:  (from Bobby Chinn, Wild Wild East):  In a saucepan, mix 1 tsp rice vinegar, 3 tsp sugar, and 1/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil and let cool.  When cool combine with 1 thinly sliced thai chili, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice.  Mix well, and stir in 2 tbsp fish sauce.  Serve.  The second was a peanut sauce from the other cookbook.  This was pretty strong, I think it would make a better sauce tossed with sauteed chicken and vegetables.   Heat 1 tbsp peanut oil.   Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 chopped thai chilies.  Stir fry until they begin to color, then add 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts.  Cook until the peanuts begin to weep.  Add 2/3 cup coconut milk, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp sugar.  Cook until thickens slightly.  We thinned it with a little peanut oil after it cooled to make it dip-able.