Recipe: Sugarcane Shrimp (Chao Tom, Vietnamese)

SUGARCANE SHRIMP (CHAO TOM)

"Sugarcane is available in cans, peeled and trimmed and ready to eat, so you can easily make this signature Vietnamese presentation at home. A simple, lightly seasoned shrimp mixture is pressed onto a rod of sugarcane and grilled just until firm and pink. Traditionally, the shrimp are minced, seasoned with roasted rice powder, enriched with a little pork fat, and then ground to a smooth paste. This makes for a firm, chewy texture. My version is coarsely ground, so that the shrimp mixture is easier to work with, and it is still delicious. Chao tom are often steamed and then grilled, but cooking them without that initial step works fine. Grilling is the ticket to those handsome grill marks, but I've made this sensational treat in a grill pan, in a skillet on top of the stove, under a broiler, and in a hot oven. However you cook them, your chao tom will look and taste delicious.

If the lack of sugarcane is keeping you from trying this brilliant dish, shape the shrimp mixture into small patties and fry them in a hot, well-oiled skillet."

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 peeled sugarcane stalks, each about 6-inches long (half of a 48 ounce can)
Everyday Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL):
20 leaves Boston or Bibb lettuce, or any other lettuce
1 cup fresh cilantro, mint, or basil leaves, or a mix

In a medium bowl, combine the coarsely chopped shrimp with the egg white, green onion, garlic, oil, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix everything well.

Transfer to a food processor and pulse briefly, 3 to 5 times, just enough to blend all ingredients together into a very rough paste, with little chunks of shrimp still visible. Or blend in a blender, stopping to scrape down the sides. Or use a knife to mince shrimp by hand. Return the shrimp mixture to the bowl. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so; this makes the mixture a bit easier to handle.

Set out the sugarcane stalks on a work surface, and have the shrimp mixture and a small bowl of water at hand. Cut each stalk of sugarcane in half crosswise, to make 8 short stalks. Then cut each short stalk lengthwise into quarters, to make a total of 32 stalks, about 3 inches long.

Dip your hands in the water, and put 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture in the palm of your left hand. Press a 3-inch sugarcane skewer into the shrimp mixture, and then mold the shrimp mixture to encircle the skewer. Press to seal the shrimp to the cane, leaving both ends free to use as handles. Set aside on a plate while you prepare remaining skewers in the same fashion.

Build a hot charcoal fire, preheat a gas grill or the broiler, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, or lightly oil a grill pan or skillet until very hot. Place the sugarcane shrimp on the lightly oiled surface of the grill rack and cook, turning often, until the shrimp are pink, nicely browned on the outside, cooked to the center, and firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. Or cook under the broiler, or in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or in the hot skillet or grill pan, turning often, until browned and cooked through.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and serve hot or warm, with Everyday Dipping Sauce. If using lettuce and herbs, make little packets by tucking a chunk of shrimp and a few fresh herb leaves into a lettuce leaf and rolling it up. Dip this bundle into the sauce as you eat.

Makes about 32 small skewers

EVERYDAY DIPPING SAUCE (NUOC CHAM)
Makes about 1/2 cup

"This traditional sauce appears on the table at most Vietnamese meals, and often accompanies such snacks and starters as crispy spring rolls and Banh Mi Submarine Sandwiches, Saigon Style. A little bit sweet, a tad salty, pleasantly tangy, and gently spicy, it makes a pleasing refrain to the music that is Vietnamese food. Add a small handful of shredded carrots and you have a vegetable relish as well as a dipping sauce.

For the ultimate nuoc cham, grind the garlic, chili, and sugar with a mortar and pestle. If you can't do that, smash the garlic through a garlic press, or mince it finely and mash it with the sugar and chilies on the side of the bowl with the back of your spoon. Or simply stir it all together. As long as you dissolve the sugar, you will have a delicious sauce."

1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce or finely chopped fresh hot red chilies, or 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine the garlic, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce in the bowl of a mortar and mash to a paste. (Or combine them on your cutting board and mash to a coarse paste with a fork and the back of a spoon.) Scrape the paste into a small bowl and stir in the fish sauce, water, and lime juice. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Transfer to small serving bowls for dipping. Or transfer to a jar, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Source: Quick and Easy Vietnamese by Nancie McDermott