Tasty grilled skewers made with finely ground pork and fish and deliciously seasoned with Vietnamese flavours.
This recipe is an inspiration from a restaurant in Nha Trang – visited after watching an episode of one of Luke Nguyen’s trips to Vietnam. It’s moreish and loved by all!
Serves 2, or as a starter for many – 45 mins
Makes 12
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
300g minced pork
300g white fleshed fish, blended to a paste
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp minced garlic from jar)
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1 red birdseye chilli, finely chopped (1/2 for milder heat)
1 pinch freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil, in a small “finger bowl”
12 wooden chopsticks or bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
12 sheets rice paper
12 whole lettuce leaves, washed
1 bunch Vietnamese mint, picked
1 bunch mint, picked
2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely sliced length ways
1 green mango, peeled and sliced length ways (optional)
1/2 bunch garlic chives, sliced into 5 cm lengths
1/2 cup Nước mắm chấm (2 portion mix)
In a large mixing bowl combine the fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
Add the pork, fish paste, spring onion, garlic, lime leaves, chilli and pepper and mix by hand to combine.
Traditional method: Take a handful of the mix and shape it into a ball. Throw the handful of mix against the inside of the bowl (firmly, but not so firm that it goes everywhere!). Scrape up the thrown mix with your fingers, shape it into a ball again and throw again. Continue to throw the handful of mix until it becomes a paste with an “elastic” consistency. Dip your fingers into the vegetable oil if the mix becomes too sticky.
Cheat’s method: blend the mix in a food processor in small portions. Just use a pulsing blend until it becomes the right consistency. Remove each portion before adding the next.
Take a handful of the mix and press it around a chopstick/skewer to form a “sausage shape” (down approximately two-thirds of the chopstick). If the mix does not hold it’s shape, pound it again on the side of the bowl. Again, dip your fingers into the oil if the mix becomes too sticky. Repeat this process with all of the mix.
Bring a chargrill or barbecue up to a medium heat and cook for 8 minutes, turning the chopstick every 2 minutes.
To serve, arrange everything on a large platter and fill a large bowl with cool water.
To eat, quickly dip one of the rice paper sheets in the warm water – the rice paper sheets will soften as you continue to make the wrap. Lay the sheet on a dinner plate. Add a lettuce leaf, cucumber, green mango, mixed herbs and garlic chives. Slide one of the sausages from a chopstick and place it on top of the salad. Wrap the rice paper tightly and dip into the Nước mắm chấm.
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