Thai Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 50 g cellophane vermicelli

• 4 dried shitake mushrooms

• 15 ml groundnut oil

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks

• 125 g mangetout, cut lengthways into fine strips

• 3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

• 125 g canned bamboo shoots, cut into fine matchsticks

• 1 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 15 ml light soy sauce

• 1 medium egg, separated

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 20 spring roll wrappers, each about 12.5 cm square

• vegetable oil for deep-frying

• spring onion tassels to garnish

Method

1. Place the vermicelli in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then drain. Cut into 7.5 cm lengths. Soak the shitake mushrooms in almost boiling water for 15 minutes, drain, discard the stalks and slice thinly.

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan, add the groundnut oil and when hot, add the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mangetout and spring onions and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Tip the vegetables into a bowl and leave to cool. Stir the vermicelli and shitake mushrooms into the cooled vegetables along with the bamboo shoots, ginger, soy sauce and egg yolk. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

3. Brush the edges of a spring roll wrapper with a little beaten egg white. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the vegetable filling onto the wrapper in a 7.5 cm log shape 2.5 cm from one edge. Fold the wrapper edge over the filling then fold in the right and left sides. Brush the folded edges with more egg white and roll up neatly. Place on an oiled baking sheet, seam-side down and make the rest of the spring rolls.

4. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan or deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Deep-fry the spring rolls 6 at a time for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and arrange on a warmed platter. Garnish with spring onion tassels and serve immediately.