Cut the onions into quarters, and marinate for about 10-15 minutes in the vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce.   Alternatively, refer to note below about prepared pickles.

If using raw chicken, bring the water or stock to a boil and plunge the chicken into the water or stock. Lower the heat immediately to a bare boil, and simmer the chicken for about 5-7 minutes, or until the flesh has cooked white and opaque throughout. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. Remove from the liquid, cool, then shred with fingers or two forks into small bits. The consistency should be long shreds, not a fine dice. Reserve in a mixing bowl. Pre-cooked chicken merely needs shredding.

If using the sprouts, bring another pot of water to a boil.   Plunge the sprouts into the boiling water, then drain immediately and refresh under cold water.

Roll several mint leaves at a time into a tight bundle and thinly slice crosswise with a knife to create a chiffonade shred. Prepare the chilies.

At the last moment, toss all the prepared ingredients together, including the vinegar marinade. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper, and if desired, garnish with a chili flower. Serves 6

© Robert Carmack

Soak each sheet, one at a time, in a pan of cool water. (A shallow roasting pan works well). Do not leave in the water to soak, rather, pass it through the water for a couple seconds, pat dry, then drain flat on the cloth. Do not over-moisten, as this leads to tearing, and the sheets will not adhere easily when rolling. Be patient, as they subsequently soften within 15 seconds to a few minutes --then use immediately. If stacking, place sheets of waxed paper in between, as the greater volume of water used in this variation will easily over-sodden the sheets, making them un-usable. This treatment is especially suited for spring rolls, but less suited for serving as softened sheets at the table.

Lay the softened rice paper smooth side down on a clean lightly dampened cloth or towel. Here, we use a large-sized rice sheet about 9 inches/23 cm diameter. Lay a lettuce leaf slightly off center, along the bottom of the sheet. (Use a soft lettuce leaf like Boston/butter or oak leaf, core removed.) Add herbs leaves of choice, again remove any stems that may pierce the rice paper. Top with grated vegetable and softened or fresh thin rice noodles, if using. The pile should be a slight rectangle, long and narrow, laying horizontal.  

Fold over the two sides of the rice sheets, that is, enclosing the two narrow ends of the filling. Crease gently, then   lay a few shoots of Chinese chives (flat/garlic chives) so that they stick out about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm), laying vertically along the top side of the filling. Now arrange three thin slices of meat or prawn about   3/4 inch (2 cm) above the chives, again horizontally along the lines of the filling. (Meat should be cut very thin and about 1 inch x 1 1/2 inch (2.5 x 4 cm) each, and medium shrimp sliced lengthwise, skin side facing down.

Bring the bottom of the rice sheet up and over the filling and press gently to compact. (At this point, you may need to lightly brush the rice sheets with water along the two sides to facilitate rolling and sealing.) Continue rolling the filling into a fat cigar shape, about 4 inches (10 cm) long and 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) wide, ensuring that the filling is compact. Caution lest you tear the sheet.

Gently press the rice paper to seal to itself. Decorative fillings, such as chives, shrimp and herb leaves will be visible through the rice paper. Note: If the sheets are too wet, they will not adhere. Keep covered with plastic wrap, while repeating with the remaining rolls. Do not stack the rolls, nor preferably, have them touching.

© Robert Carmack

Place the fish in a food processor fitted with a metal cutting blade and process until it is well minced. Pull or cut away the center stem of the kaffir lime leaves, and discard. Roll the leaves into a tight cylinder and slice into paper thin strips; add the lime leaves to the food processor. Add the sugar, and all remaining ingredients -- except the beans and oil -- to the food processor and process until just blended -- no more than 5 seconds. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the beans. Up to this point, the mixture can be prepared a day in advance and kept refrigerated, or frozen.

When ready to prepare, heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet to 325 F (170 C). Lightly moisten fingertips to prevent sticking, and take a walnut sized portion of the fish paste and form into a small patty - about 2 inches (5 cm) diameter, and 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Add a few fish cakes at a time and cook until golden brown and well puffed -- about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a skewer or slotted spoon and drain. Makes about   25

© Robert Carmack

Heat half of the oil in a saucepan with the curry paste. Use a spoon or spatula to stir the paste until it is well incorporated. Add remaining oil, and continuing cooking the curry paste for about 3 minutes, or until the aroma no longer smells "raw." Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. This will keep several weeks.  

Remove any giblets from the chicken. Use kitchen shears or a large chefs knife to cut down the length of the backbone. Open the chicken out, and press firmly on the breast bone to crack the bones, so that it lays flat.   Make two deep incisions on leg and thigh, at its thickest part. This helps cook the chicken evenly, and also allows the basting flavors to permeate the meat. Sprinkle with salt, and set aside until ready to use.

Use a basting brush to coat the chicken on all sides. Retain the oil for basting later. Marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours, refrigerated. When ready to cook, place the chicken bone-side up on a roasting pan set 8-10 inches from the broiler. Cook for 15-20 minutes, basting regularly, or until the bones just begin to blacken. Turn chicken over and continue roasting and basting until the chicken blood runs clear when the thigh is deeply pierced with a fork.   Remove from the heat, place on a serving platter and squeeze lime atop. Serve with rice.

© Robert Carmack