Nem Nuong -- Vietnamese Lamb Patties

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon roasted rice powder
• 225 g ground lean lamb
• 25 g lamb fat, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• oil, for greasing
• 2 cups salad greens
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced into half moons
• 2 spring onions, shredded
• 1/2 cup fresh herb (thai basil, coriander or mint)
• 1/2 cup nuoc cham sauce

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the rice powder, soak 75g glutinous rice in warm water for an hour.
• 2 drain and dry and then throw into a hot pan.
• 3 stir over a low heat for about 15 minutes or until golden in colour.
• 4 reduce to a fine powder in a food processor or coffee grinder -- it will keep for up to 3 months.
• 5 mix the lamb and lamb fat with the shallot, garlic and fish sauce.
• 6 season with salt and pepper and bind with 1 tbsp rice powder.
• 7 leave to rest in the fridge for 1/2 hour.
• 8 grease your hands with a little oil and then form the lamb into small rounds or sausage shapes.
• 9 grill over a medium charcoal fire or under a preheated grill for about 15 minutes.
• 10 turn as needed to brown on all sides.
• 11 serve on a bed of lettuce, cucumber, spring onions and herbs.
• 12 dip in nuoc cham.