Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Fresh Rice-Paper Rolls)

Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add the prawns and poach for 2–3 minutes until just pink and cooked through — do not overcook or they will be rubbery. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool slightly, then slice each prawn in half lengthways so you have two thin, flat pieces. This gives a beautiful presentation through the translucent rice paper. In the same water, cook the rice vermicelli according to the packet instructions — usually 3–4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and prevent sticking, and set aside in a bowl. Prepare all the vegetables and herbs and arrange them in separate piles on a large board or plate so everything is ready before you begin rolling — once you start, the process moves quickly.

Combine the tamari, lime juice, rice vinegar, caster sugar, and grated garlic in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the sesame oil and stir again. Taste and adjust — it should be a balance of salty, sour, and faintly sweet with a background warmth from the garlic. Add the sliced red chilli if using. Divide the sauce between small individual dipping bowls. This sauce is deliberately light and sharp to complement the fresh, delicate flavours of the rolls without overpowering them — it is not the thick, sweet hoisin-based sauce often served with spring rolls, which can mask the herbs.

Fill a wide, shallow bowl or dish with warm water — not hot, just comfortably warm. Working one sheet at a time, submerge a rice paper wrapper in the water for 15–20 seconds until it is just pliable and slightly tacky but not completely soft — it will continue to soften as you fill and roll it. Lay it flat on a clean, damp tea towel or a lightly damp board. Place 2–3 prawn halves in a line across the lower third of the wrapper, cut-side up so the pink colour shows through the paper. Add a small bundle of vermicelli, a lettuce leaf torn to size, a few cucumber and carrot matchsticks, and a generous pinch of mint, coriander, Thai basil, and spring onion on top of the prawns.

Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper up and over the filling, tucking it snugly underneath. Fold in the two sides like an envelope, then roll firmly away from you to form a tight, neat cylinder. The wrapper will seal itself — no water or egg wash needed. Place the finished roll seam-side down on a plate and cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out while you roll the remaining sheets. Serve the rolls whole or sliced in half on the diagonal to reveal the colourful filling, alongside the dipping sauce. Gỏi cuốn are best eaten within 30 minutes of rolling — the rice paper toughens if left too long.