(serves 6-8 as an entrée)

A great snack, entrée or lunch dish. Sometimes created simply as vegetarian rolls or with cooked prawns or re-hydrated dried shrimp instead of chicken. Hoisin and chilli sauce is not traditional. Many, or all, of the ingredients you will find at a supermarket and all of them at an Asian supply store.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• To cook chicken: Place chicken thighs, skin side up, onto an oven tray and roast for 20-25 minutes or till chicken juices run clear. Allow to cool.
• Bring a pot of water to the boil and add salt. Cook vermicelli in boiling water, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or till al dente. Run under cold water and drain thoroughly.
• Once chicken is cold, remove skin and cut chicken into thin slivers. Combine chicken with Hoisin sauce, chilli sauce and peanuts.
• Place lettuce, chopped mint and spring onions into a bowl and toss together.
• To assemble rice paper rolls: Fill a flattish dish (large enough to take rice paper sheets) with hot water. Dip a rice paper wrapper into water for 30 seconds or till soft and pliable. Lay rice paper onto a board and pat dry with a paper towel. If this is the first time you have done this it may take you several attempts to get it right.
• Place lettuce mixture in centre of rice paper (in a strip) and top with two strips of red pepper. Spread vermicelli along salad and top with a generous amount of chicken mixture. Roll up tightly, folding in one end as you go. Continue till all ingredients are used up.
• Store in a container lined with plastic wrap with damp paper towels between each layer.
• To serve: Cut rolls in half and garnish with mint.