Chicken nems
Nems are probably the best known Far Eastern dish in France. These small crispy rolls can be made in different flavours: chicken, crab, pork, etc. Making your own is not very complicated, the only difficulty is in the rolling stage. You will find in this recipe full details on how to successfully make chicken nems.
[Translator's note: the "rice paper" used here is not the same as the rice paper used in England under macaroons, it's sold in packs of thin round translucent wafers, rather like papadoms].
[Translator's note: the "rice paper" used here is not the same as the rice paper used in England under macaroons, it's sold in packs of thin round translucent wafers, rather like papadoms].
510 K 3.7/5 (103 reviews)
2 hours 25 min.
Average
20 Chickens nems
17 IngredientsLast modified on: April 6th 2017
For 20 Chickens nems, you will need:
- 1
½ carrot - 2
½ leek - 3
½ shallot - 4
½ garlic clove - 5
½ chicken breast - 6
½ bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) - 7
150 ml dried chinese black mushrooms (shiitake) - 8
50 ml fine soya noodles - 9
20 rices sheets - 10
1.5 tablespoon soy sauce - 11
1.5 tablespoon water - 12
1.5 tablespoon vinegar - 13
salt - 14
pepper - 15
½ chicken stock cube - 16
lettuce - 17
fresh mint leaves
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 35 min.
Resting: 35 min.
Cooking: 15 min.
All in all: 2 hours 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 30 min.
Rehydrate 150 ml dried chinese black mushrooms (shiitake).
Drain and dry. If they are not already in strips, cut into small pieces.
Set aside.
Drain and dry. If they are not already in strips, cut into small pieces.
Set aside.
Stage 2 - 15 min.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Lightly cook ½ chicken breast in a little chicken stock.
Note: don't discard stock after cooking, it's going to be used for cooking the noodles.
Note: don't discard stock after cooking, it's going to be used for cooking the noodles.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Cut chicken into very small pieces.
Set aside.
Set aside.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
Cook 50 ml fine soya noodles one minute in chicken stock.
Drain and set aside.
Drain and set aside.
Stage 9 - 3 min.
In a large bowl, put everything you've prepared so far: mushrooms, carrot, leek, coriander, chicken, noodles, shallot and garlic.
Keep back a teaspoonful of grated carrot for the sauce.
Salt and pepper.
Keep back a teaspoonful of grated carrot for the sauce.
Salt and pepper.
Stage 10
Mix everything well, the best way is to use both hands.
Note: This mixture can be made in advance, and kept in a sealed container in the fridge.
Note: This mixture can be made in advance, and kept in a sealed container in the fridge.
Stage 11
Rolling nems.
Get everything you need ready on your work surface:
Get everything you need ready on your work surface:
- a big clean cloth
- a dish of cold water
- Rice paper sheets
- a non-stick baking sheet for putting finished nems on
Stage 12 - 5 min.
Dip 10 rice paper sheets in cold water for about 5 minutes, to soften them.
Stage 13
Remove one softened rice paper sheet from water and place on the cloth.
Stage 14
Remove excess water on top with the cloth.
Stage 15
On the edge of the rice paper, put a tablespoon of mixture.
Stage 16
Roll sheet up around filling.
Stage 17
Midway across sheet, fold sides inwards.
Stage 18 - 45 min.
And finish rolling to create a small roll, as neat and even as possible.
Make sure you keep the rice paper tight against the filling when rolling to exclude as much air as possible from the nem.
You nem is now ready, put it on the tray, and make the next one. Do this with all the filling.
Make sure you keep the rice paper tight against the filling when rolling to exclude as much air as possible from the nem.
You nem is now ready, put it on the tray, and make the next one. Do this with all the filling.
Stage 19
You can see how to do it in this short video.
Stage 20 - 5 min.
Prepare sauce: in a bowl mix 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce with 3 tablespoons of water and 1.5 tablespoon vinegar.
Add the remaining grated carrot and pepper generously.
Your sauce is ready.
Add the remaining grated carrot and pepper generously.
Your sauce is ready.
Stage 21 - 5 min.
To cook your nems, you can use a frying pan with a little oil in, or put them in a deep fryer (in which case they will be very crisp but fattier).
Stage 22
Serve with lettuce, fresh mint and sauce.
Remarks
You can vary your nems by repacing chicken with something else. You can also omit it totally to make vegetable nems.
Nems, cooked or not, can be frozen.
Nems, cooked or not, can be frozen.
Keeping: Once cooked, a few minutes.
Source: JP in his time.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 30 RDI=10 % | 70 RDI=7 % | 8 RDI=1 % | 490 RDI=30 % | 2,060 RDI: 30 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 1 RDI=0 % | 90 RDI=4 % | 370 RDI: 4 % |
| Per piece | 1 RDI=1 % | 3 RDI=0 % | 0 | 20 RDI=1 % | 100 RDI: 1 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 20 Chickens nems : 4.80 €
- Per Chicken nems : 0.25 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fine soya noodles
Like these other recipes: Chinese Soup, ... See them all 1
Dried chinese black mushrooms (shiitake)
Like these other recipes: Chinese Soup, ... See them all 1
Water
Like these other recipes: Poaching syrup, Classic French white bread, Chicken pie, Nachos, Vegetable stock, ... See them all 135
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