Everybody’s favourite gift to the mouth, goi cuô´n translates as ‘rolled salad’. My Salmon & Avocado Summer Rolls are filled with herbs and vegetables, but you can pick and choose from what you have. This fantastic combination is made even more pleasurable by the silky and moreish nutty dipping sauce.

INGREDIENTS – Makes 8 – Prep time 20 minutes, cook time 25 minutes

1 yellow or red beetroot (beets), peeled and sliced into 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick rings

1 teaspoon olive oil

200 g (7 oz) skinless salmon fillets

3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

8 x 22 cm (81/2 inch) sheets of rice paper

2 ripe avocados, sliced

20 cm (8 inch) cucumber, cut into batons

8 sprigs of dill, finely chopped

8 sprigs of coriander (cilantro)

16 mint leaves

160 g (51/2 oz) 0.8 mm rice vermicelli, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drained, rinsed in hot water and cooled to room temperature in a colander with a cover

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped

2 tablespoons smooth or crunchy peanut, cashew or almond butter

1 1/2 tablespoons premium fish sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup or clear honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons roasted and salted peanuts, roughly chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (425°F).

Spread the slices of beetroot out on a baking tray (pan), brush over the olive oil and bake for 8 minutes.

Place the salmon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread over the teriyaki sauce. Add to the oven and bake the salmon and beetroot for a further 12–15 minutes.

Remove and set aside to cool to room temperature, then flake the salmon with a fork.

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the garlic and chilli. Once the garlic has turned slightly golden and released its fragrance (about a minute), add the nut butter.

Mix the butter in to melt it and stir until it is lump-free. Add the fish sauce, maple syrup or honey, cider vinegar and water. Mix well to combine, then remove from the heat.

Serve in individual dipping bowls, sprinkled with the peanuts.

To make the rolls, dip a sheet of rice paper for a second into water to moisten it, then transfer to a board or large plate.

Just below the middle of the paper, line up a couple of slices of avocado, beetroot, cucumber and flaked salmon. Top with some dill, coriander and mint and a thin layer of noodles.

Fold the left and the right sides in by approximately 3–4 cm (11/4–11/2 inches), then fold the bottom flap over the filling and roll up tightly and firmly, tucking in all the ingredients with your fingers as you go.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then serve with the dipping sauce.

Quick & Easy Vietnamese by Uyen Luu (Hardie Grant)