Categories: Appetizers, Seafood 
      Yield: 16 servings 
  
      2 oz Dried bean thread noodles 
           -(MUNG bean) 
      3 tb Sm. dried tree-ear mushrooms 
      1 lb Ground pork butt 
      4    Garlic cloves 
           - finely minced or pureed 
      1 tb Fish sauce 
    1/2 ts Fresh finely ground pepper 
      1 c  Flaked crab meat 
      1 c  Grated carrot 
      1 c  Bean sprouts; tails removed 
      4    Shallots; minced -=OR=- 
      1 sm -Onion 
      2 c  Warm water 
    1/4 c  Sugar 
     16    12" rice paper wrappers 
           - (dried) 
           Peanut oil for deep-frying 
           Lettuce leaves 
           Fresh mint 
           Fresh coriander leaves 
  
  IN SEPARATE MEDIUM BOWLS, soak the mung bean noodles and tree-ear mushrooms 
  with water until soft and pliable. Drain the noodles and cut into shorter 
  lengths; set aside. Remove the hard centers from the mushrooms, coarsely 
  chop and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the pork, garlic, fish sauce 
  and ground pepper. Mix in crab meat, tree-ear mushrooms, carrots, bean 
  sprouts, shallots and bean thread noodles; set aside. Combine the warm 
  water and sugar in a bowl. Lay 1 rice paper wrapper on a damp towel. (Keep 
  unused wrappers in their package.) Generously brush it with the sugar 
  water; allow it to soften to a very pliable wrapper, about 30 seconds or 
  sometime longer (depending upon the brand). With your hands shape 3 
  tablespoons filling into a tight compact 1-inch-wide-by-4-to-5-inch-long 
  cylinder. Place cylinder along the lower edge of wrapper. Roll the bottom 
  up and over the roll tightly. Fold both outside edges inward to enclose the 
  ends. Continue rolling up into a cylinder; set aside covered with plastic 
  wrap. Repeat until all the rolls are done. To cook and brown evenly, the 
  roll must be firm and evenly packed. If the wrapper has a tear, bandage it 
  with a softened rice-paper remnant. In a preheated wok or saucepan, add oil 
  to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 325F. Add a few rolls at a time, but do 
  not crowd. Fry for 10 seconds. Immediately increase to high heat or 375F. 
  Fry, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove 
  and drain on paper towel. Cut crosswise into 1+1/2-inch pieces. Arrange 
  rolls on a plate lined with lettuce. On another plate, arrange leaves of 
  lettuce, fresh coriander and mint leaves. To eat, wrap spring-roll garnish 
  with sprig of coriander and mint leaves in a lettuce leaf and dip into nuoc 
  cham sauce (See RECIPE).