Netted Egg Rolls (Chả Giò Rế)

Recipe By: Lindsey D
Experience Level: Easy

Egg rolls are everywhere in the town of Little Saigon. Egg rolls have claimed some serious territory and are often available in every mom and pop Vietnamese restaurant especially in my hometown of Westminster, California. This Vietnamese appetizer is a known best seller and fan favorite on any restaurant menu. Why? Because they are the epitome of flavors and textures of its own. Imagine yourself chomping down a crispy exterior, then discover a burst of juicy pork and a mix of vegetables inside. You can also choose to wrap them in a mix of lettuce and cilantro and dip it in the Vietnamese dipping sauce called nước mắm or nước chấm for that added sweet and sour citrus taste. I guess I do take egg rolls for granted because my local restaurants offer this all day, every day.

For any parties or get together, egg rolls are the obvious choice to share with friends and family. It can be the main dish to a side dish to complement Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles (Bún Thịt Nướng). That being said, I am downright bored of the regular deep-fried egg rolls at the store. It was time to try a new twist on egg rolls. Well, this is not exactly new-new but it is not offered often in the local Bolsa restaurants for sure.

This Netted Egg Rolls or Chả Giò Rế is as authentic as it can get and still considered traditional. The netted rice paper wrapper certainly jazzed up the look of the normal egg rolls with added crispiness as well. A win-win in my book. In the beginning, I had difficulties wrapping the pork fillings into the net wrap since it would be too brittle and breaks. A good tip is to lightly spray the wrap or place the wrap on top of a moist towel during wrapping. Do wear a goggle when you deep fry, just in case the water might cause the oil to jump out of the pot and get you. As soon as you finish wrapping a few, you are now an egg roll expert. I call the motions of making Egg Rolls “The Wrap & Roll.” Put your favorite music on and wrap away. Thirty-five egg rolls ain’t got nothing on you!

By the way, if you just don’t have the time or just want to try a new dip I would recommend eating your golden deep-fried egg rolls with Terry ho’s Yum Yum Sauce. If you love anything Siracha I would check out the Siracha mayo sauce in the Golden Fried Shrimp Ball Lollipops recipe.

Recipe & Photos: Karen Quế Phạm