Chạo Tôm/Chao Tom (Grilled Shrimp on Sugarcane)

Chao Tom (Sugarcane Shrimp) is another favorite traditional Vietnamese appetizers from the central region of Vietnam and Hue, the imperial capital. The sugarcane skewer infuses a subtle sweetness to the shrimp paste and we love biting into the sugarcane as a chaser after the savory grilled shrimp.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons packed palm sugar or light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cloves garlic, minced and crushed into a paste
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons of fish sauce
• 2 tbsp. of minced shallot
• 1 tbsp. of minced pork fatback
• 1 can of sugarcane
• 1-2 tbsp. of canola oil
• 1 small head soft leaf lettuce, such as red leaf, green leaf or butter leaf.
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Other fresh herbs such as tia to (red perilla) and kinh gioi (Vietnamese balm)
• Dipping fish sauce

Directions:

Put shrimp into a colander and toss them with salt. Then quickly rinse under lots of cold water and drain well. Dry with paper towel.

Chop the shrimp and put in a bowl. Add cornstarch, sugar, black pepper, fish sauce, egg, garlic, shallot and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix well and transfer into a food processor; process until a coarse paste form. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the pork fatback, cover with plastic wrap, and then leave it to stiffen for 15-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut 3-4 sections of sugarcane lengthwise into thin sticks, each between ¼ or ½ inch in diameter. You need about 12 sticks. Blot with paper towel and set aside.

Use parchment paper to line the steamer tray and oil the parchment. Get a pot of water ready for steaming.

Put the lettuce and herbs on a platter. Put the dipping fish sauce in a bowl. Set both aside.

Have a bowl of water near where you’re working, along with the shrimp paste and sugarcane sticks. Wet one hand, then use the other hand to put 2 tbsp. of shrimp paste in the palm of your hand, spreading it out into circle about 2 ½ inches wide and ¼ inch thick. Center a sugarcane stick on top of the paste (except the two ends), and then close your hand to make the paste firmly stick to the stick and surround it. Hold on the sugarcane stick with your dry hand and turn the stick and use your wet hand to pat the paste to smooth the surface. Put in on the steamer tray and repeat for the sugarcane sticks remaining.

Steam the shrimp sticks over boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.

In a frying pan, heat up oil and deep fry the shrimp sticks until golden brown. Serve with lettuce, herbs, and dipping fish sauce.

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