12988 Shrimp Pâté on Sugarcane and Lemongrass Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 08:15:49 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 09:30:43 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12988 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:30:43 GMT Chao tom is classically Vietnamese in style, with the soft shrimp pâté contrasting with crispy, sweet sugarcane. The cane is not eaten, but chewed on to release its sugary essence after the shrimp has been eaten. The lemongrass will add a tart, citrus quality that contrasts nicely with the sugarcane. This dish tastes best if grilled over charcoal, but may be prepared in the oven. The nuoc leo sauce, the traditional dipping sauce of the central region, makes the ideal accompaniment to the dish.

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  • Soak the tamarind paste in 3 tablespoons [45 mL] of the stock for 30 minutes.
  • Heat the oil and briefly sauté the garlic. Add the tamarind liquid, discarding the pulp and seeds.
  • Add the soybean sauce, fish sauce, the remaining ¾ cup [180 mL] of stock, the chile paste, sugar, black pepper, and peanut butter. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the peanuts just before service.
  • Pulse the shrimp in a food processor until it just forms a paste. Add the garlic, shallots, sugar, and egg whites. Pulse until well blended. Add the rice powder, pepper, and salt pork and pulse until just blended.
  • Oil your hands and mold about 2 tablespoons [30 mL] of the shrimp paste around the upper half of the sugarcane and the lemongrass, leaving the lower half to serve as a handle. Repeat for all the sugarcane and lemongrass segments. Wrap them individually in plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Grill the shrimp pâtés over medium coals for 8 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown.
  • Moisten the surface of 2 rice papers, allowing them to become soft and pliable. On each rice paper place some lettuce, mint, cilantro, cucumber, and sliced chilies. Top with one wrapped stalk of sugarcane and one stalk of lemongrass. Serve nuoc leo dipping sauce on the side. Instruct the diner to remove the pâté from the stalks and wrap in the rice papers. (Note that chewing on the sugarcane stalk is accepted practice.)
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Arthur L. Meyer 50 Main 1½ tablespoons [25 mL] tamarind paste

    ]]>     1 cup [240 mL] chicken stock

    ]]>     1½ tablespoons [25 mL] vegetable oil

    ]]>     3 garlic cloves, minced

    ]]>     ½ cup [120 mL] Vietnamese soybean sauce (tuong) or yellow bean paste mixed with water

    ]]>     1 tablespoon [15 mL] fish sauce (nuoc mam)

    ]]>     ½ tablespoon [8 mL] chile paste

    ]]>     ½ tablespoon [8 mL] sugar

    ]]>     1 teaspoon [5 mL] black pepper

    ]]>     2½ tablespoons [40 mL] peanut butter

    ]]>     2½ tablespoons [40 mL] roasted peanuts

    ]]>     1⅓ pounds [600 g] shrimp, shelled, deveined, and dried thoroughly

    ]]>     5 garlic cloves, finely minced

    ]]>     5 shallots, minced

    ]]>     ½ tablespoon [8 mL] sugar

    ]]>     3 egg whites, beaten until slightly frothy

    ]]>     1½ tablespoons [25 mL] roasted rice powder

    ]]>     ¼ teaspoon [1 mL] ground black pepper

    ]]>     2½ tablespoons [40 mL] salt pork, boiled in water 10 minutes and very finely minced

    ]]>     One 8-inch [20-cm] section sugarcane, peeled, cut crosswise in half and quartered lengthwise

    ]]>     8 stalks lemongrass, trimmed to 4 inches [10 cm] in length

    ]]>     ⅓ cup [80 mL] vegetable oil

    ]]>     2½ cups [600 mL] leaf lettuce

    ]]>     1⅓ cups [320 mL] fresh mint leaves

    ]]>     1⅓ cups [320 mL] fresh cilantro leaves

    ]]>     1⅓ cups [320 mL] cucumber, decoratively peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced horizontally

    ]]>     4 jalapeño chiles, sliced

    ]]>     16 dried rice papers (bahn trang)

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