Thai Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 75 g cane sugar
• 1 green peppercorn
• 2 carrots
• 75 ml rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 30 g ginger (1 piece)
• 350 g pork mince
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 100 g glass noodles
• 1 Mini Cucumber
• 125 g daikon (1 piece)
• 1 bunch Thai basil
• 12 lettuce leaves
• 8 sheets rice paper (30 cm diameter)
• chives (optional)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Bring sugar with 75 ml water to a boil while stirring, then let cool. Halve the peppercorn lengthwise, deseed, wash thoroughly and cut into thin strips. Peel one carrot and slice it into very fine ribbons.

2. 2.

   Mix peppercorn strips, carrot ribbons, and vinegar with the sugar water and let steep at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile peel and finely chop garlic and ginger. Mix them with the pork mince. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   Heat oil in a non‑stick pan and fry the minced pork over high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper to cool.

5. 5.

   Place glass noodles in a bowl and pour very hot water over them; soak for 15 minutes. Drain well, then cut into small pieces with scissors.

6. 6.

   Peel and wash cucumber, slicing it into very fine ribbons. Peel the second carrot and daikon, cutting them into thin strips as well.

7. 7.

   Wash Thai basil, shake dry, pluck leaves and roughly chop. Clean lettuce, rinse, and pat dry.

8. 8.

   Soak two rice paper sheets in warm water (~50 °C) for 45 seconds each, then lay them overlapping on a damp kitchen towel.

9. 9.

   Place three lettuce leaves on the rice paper and distribute one quarter of the remaining prepared ingredients over them, leaving at least a 2 cm border on all sides.

10. 10.

    Roll the rice paper tightly using the towel to help shape; repeat with the remaining sheets. Slice into wide pieces before serving and garnish with chives if desired. Serve the Thai rolls with sauce.