Passport & Plate - Bahn Hoi: Fresh Summer Wraps (serves 6-8)
Cambodia | Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
ROAST PORK:
2kg Roast pork
Salt
Olive oil
SPRING ROLLS:
1/8 head of red cabbage
1/4 head of cabbage
1 carrot
1 onion
1/2 bunch of coriander
60g of bean vermicelli noodle
500g pork mince
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper
Rice paper spring roll wrappers
1L of canola oil for deep-frying
BAHN HOI NOODLES:
1 packet (250g) of rice vermicelli
30g tapioca flour
1 bunch of garlic chives
1/4 cup olive oil
DIPPING SAUCE:
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 cups of water
Juice 1 lime
1/2 grated carrot
1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
1 hot chilli, finely sliced
crushed cashews to serve
HERBS & SALAD
Coriander
Thai Basil
Vietnamese Mint
Mint
Bean sprouts
Sliced cucumber
Large lettuce leaves (baby cos and butter lettuce) - for wrapping
Note: If you can find it, sorrel is a good addition. The slight lemon taste in the leaves is delicious with the different combination of herbs.
How to prepare this recipeROAST PORK
Score pork rind. Store in the fridge uncovered overnight. Generously rub salt into the cuts. Drizzle olive oil & massage. Put in the oven at 220C for 30mins (the rind will crackle). Lower the heat to 180C & roast for 2hrs (1/2hr for every 500g of meat). Turn the heat off for the last 20mins & let the meat rest before serving.
SPRING ROLLS
Soak noodles in cold water overnight. Add finely chopped cabbage & grated carrot into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle 2tsp of salt, mix well. Leave for 1/2hr to let the salt draw out the water. Squeeze the mixture removing all excess water. Drain noodles & cut into 2cm lengths. Add noodles, finely chopped onion, coriander (stems too), pork mince, salt & pepper. Mix well.
To roll the spring rolls, dip the rice paper sheets individually in warm water & place on a plate, it will get translucent & sticky. Place 1tsp of the spring roll mixture in the middle, fold the bottom, sides & roll. Heat the oil for deep-frying. To test the oil is hot ready, place the end of a wooden spoon (unlacquered) touching the base, little bubbles rise from the end. Deep-fry the spring rolls for approx. 3.5mins (the outer skin will bubble)
BAHN HOI
Soak noodles in cold water overnight. Finely chop the chives & sauté with oil, set aside. Drain the noodles removing all excess water. Toss through 30g of tapioca flour. Boil water in a large pot for steaming. Place a ‘splatter screen’ on top & spread a thin layer of noodles over the screen, cover with a lid & steam for 1min (see photo). Flip onto a plate & drizzle the chive oil. Repeat. After 3 layers, cut into 4x4cm squares.
DIPPING SAUCE
Bring to boil water, salt, sugar & garlic. Take off the heat & when cooled add lime juice & carrots. Serve in individual bowls, adding cashews & chilli to taste.
TIME TO EAT! Arrange HERBS, salad & cucumber on a platter and place all elements on the table. Using a lettuce leaf, place as many elements as you like inside, wrap & dip! Mix & match to taste. ENJOY!
The story behind this recipe‘Bahn Hoi’ is very special to our family. Growing up it was the dish my sister and I immediately requested for birthdays, Christmas, and really every milestone that required a family celebration. This included graduation, the birth of my niece and nephew - I even remember the moment when Mum suggested making Bahn Hoi for my first serious boyfriend and I thinking - ‘Phew!...surely they think he is OK!’
Bahn Hoi is a family recipe, and while it traditionally only refers to how you prepare the rice vermicelli, for us it's mum’s recreation of the foods she loved growing up in Cambodia. Mum arrived in Australia as a refugee in 1976, escaping the civil war and leaving everything behind. I can't even imagine how strange and lonely it would have been for her, but can remember how she would often say that cooking Cambodian dishes would remind her of home and her mum. I think this is really special, as for me it is the same with 'Bahn Hoi', where it's not just about the food, but the memories of preparing, cooking and eating together as a family.
Some of my most vivid memories include helping mum pick fresh herbs and salads from her garden (which today is almost entirely edible), washing them in rainwater at least twice from our rain tank and pinching the tails off the bean sprouts so that they would look pretty on the platter. As I got older, I remember being upgraded to learning how to make and roll the spring rolls and eventually trusted to deep fry them! On 'Ban Hoi' days our house would be filled with the smells of roast pork and the amazing freshness of just picked Thai Basil and mint - for me this is the smell of home.
I am extremely proud to be sharing this recipe.
