Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces/ 40 g dried wood ear mushrooms
• 1 1/2 ounces/ 40 g bean thread vermicelli
• 1 jicama, peeled and julienned
• 7 ounces/ 200 g minced pork
• 7 ounces/ 200 g crabmeat (from fish monger)
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Sea salt and ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 20 (8-inch/ 20 cm diameter) dried round rice paper wrappers
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 1 large handful perilla leaves
• 1 large handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 large handful fresh Vietnamese mint
• 17 1/2 ounces/ 500 g cooked rice vermicelli
• 3 tablespoons fried red shallots
• 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
• 1 cup/ 250 ml nuoc cham

Instructions

1. Put the mushrooms in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 20 minutes, then drain and thinly slice.
2. Soak the bean thread vermicelli in water for 20 minutes, then drain and cut into 1 1/2-inch/4 cm lengths.
3. Place the sliced jicama in a muslin cloth and squeeze out its juice, then discard.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms, vermicelli, jicama, pork, crabmeat, onion, sugar, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons white pepper, and fish sauce.
5. Knead the mixture in the bowl for 10 minutes, or until your arms get tired.
6. Working with one rice paper at a time, submerge the rice paper in a large pan of warm water, then transfer it to a chopping board or work surface.
7. Take 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of the mixture and place it on the bottom edge of the rice paper. Fold the 2 adjacent sides, one on top of the other, into the center.
8. Roll the apex to form a nice firm roll, and secure with a dab of beaten egg white. Repeat until you have filled all the rice papers.
9. Pour the oil into a wok and heat to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C, or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.
10. Fry the parcels in 3 batches for 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.
11. Evenly distribute the rice vermicelli noodles among 4 to 6 bowls, top with sliced herbs, then cut the parcels into the bowls.
12. Pour 2 tablespoons nuoc cham into each bowl and garnish with fried shallots and peanuts.