Fresh Spring Rolls with Fish Sauce
Submitted by Silean Seng and Channalen Koun, FH Cambodia
Kuong is enjoyed by Khmer people across Cambodia as a lunchtime snack, street-food treat, and party platter favourite—some people even eat it for breakfast!
It’s a great way to jazz up leftover meat. Best of all, it’s packed with tasty ingredients and is equally delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients (Rolls)
500g pork belly (boiled, sliced)
• 400g shrimp (de-shelled)
• 100g vermicelli rice noodles (uncooked)
• 5 cups lettuce (shredded)
• 3 cups mung bean sprouts
• 2 cucumbers (julienned)
• 18 sheets rice paper
• 2 cups fresh herb mix (cilantro,
mint, celery leaves, rat-ear*)
*Rat-ear—pepper elder or man to man—is a tropical herb with a broad leaf and mustard-like odor. Substitute with your choice of bitter herb.
Ingredients (Fish Sauce)
• 1 ¾ cup water
• ½ cup vinegar
• ½ cup fish or oyster sauce
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 red onion (diced)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 chili pepper (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup peanuts (chopped, roasted)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the pork. Cut away any large portions of fat from the pork. Boil pork in salted water for about 60-90 minutes until fork-tender (a fork slides easily in and out of the meat). Or, slow cook the pork for 6 hours on low. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. Prepare the shrimp and noodles. De-head and de-shell the shrimp if needed and boil in salted water for about 3 minutes until cooked through. Remove tails and cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Place rice noodles in a heatproof dish and cover with boiling water; let stand until soft (3-4 minutes) then drain and set aside.
4. To assemble the rolls, dip one rice paper in warm water to soften. Layer ingredients in the centre of the soft wrap—lettuce, noodles, herbs, mung bean sprouts, cucumbers, pork, and shrimp. Then wrap by pulling two sides up slightly onto the ingredients and roll into a small log.
5. Serve rolls fresh and cold (or refrigerate for up to 2 days). Pour fish sauce into small individual bowls for dipping and sprinkle in chopped peanuts. Makes 15-18 rolls.
