Chargrilled fish summer roll - Goi cuon ca nuong

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This is a wonderful dish in the summer, you can enjoy it as a healthy barbecue in which each person creates his own roll. Simultaneously you can prepare in advance for a cocktail party as nibble foods.

• For what is summer rolls please go to: Summer rolls
• For demonstrated pictures, please go to my Vietnamese version on Afamily magazine

Being a Vietnamese, I would say cá trình because it has firm flesh, fat skin, sweet flavour and single spine which make it a perfect pick. You'll expect crispy skin yet juicy flesh pieces to please your palate. Of course, this is not always easy to find, and luckily any other firm texture one would do just well: Monk fish, eel, mullet, cat fish ... you name it.

SERVES 4–6

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce, 3 crabs brand
3/4 cup water or coconut juice
1-2 tsp. lime or lemon juice
1 tbsp. minced dill
1/2 tsp. deseeded and chopped bird eyes chilli

FOR THE ROLLS:
3 lb. firm texture fish
1 lb. dried rice vermicelli
20-30 rice papers
1-2 lettuce, rinsed and drained
1 big carrot, peeled and julienne, mixed with sugar and vinegar on ratio 1:1 and a bit more sour
2 oz. gherkin/onion pickle, sliced
20 sprig Vietnamese mint, optional
dill

Seasoning mixture:
2 oz. ginger, pounded
1-2 lemon-grass, thinly sliced and pound
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced dill, chopped small
fish sauce, salt and sugar, to taste
1/2 tsp. minced bird eyes chilli

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Marinate the fish: Filet or score then marinate with the seasoning mixture above. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. Cook dried rice vemicelli, following how to cook vermicelli, and leave to dry and fluffy, about 30 minutes.
3. Prepare all other ingredients, a bowl of warm water (30-40 C) and make the dipping sauce: following the basic of Vietnamese dipping sauce or dipping sauce for summer roll or peanut dipping sauce for summer roll.
4. Grill fish over charcoal, adjust the heat to have crispy skin while remaining juicy.
5. Roll, please follow how to roll a summer roll
   
   

SERVING

Three ways:

• Arrange everything on the table, give everyone a plate and guide people to roll their own roll
• Roll and serve as starter
• Cut into pieces and serve as nibbles food

Serve with traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce with ingredients above, hoisin sauce, peanut sauce or your signature sauce

NOTE

• Vietnamese mint do add a dimension to it so please get hold if you can otherwise use dill and fennel.
• Use sharp picked like onion or gherkin to add high notes
• Please do not soak rice paper, a quick dip into warm water is enough, it will absorb the water on the surface, the moisture from your ingredients, and will be soft as you roll it. Please do not soak, I am quite frustrated seeing people keep soaking rice paper till soft and fragile.