Cycle 4 – Item 118

3 (Fri) May 2013

Nom Chienn

3.5

by me

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with the Family, Nanny 8

I improvised these spring rolls as if I knew what I were doing.  The filling was mostly minced pork and shredded carrot, a combination that I’ve come to associate with nom chienn after learning it from the cookbook Authentic Cambodian Recipes From Mother to Daughter.  From that base, I went off on my own, adding bits of this and that, such as oak mushrooms, bell pepper, celery, etc., then seasoning the veggies in fish sauce, which provided some character (unlike plain salt) without overwhelming the profile (unlike soy sauce).  After letting the mix sit for a while, I squeezed some of the juices leeched out by the sodium so that the filling wouldn’t end up soggy.  Rolled in flour wrappers and deep-fried in canola oil, they were the best that I’ve made yet.  Didn’t even need dipping sauce.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)