Vietnamese Sugarcane Shrimp (Chạo Tôm)

Step 1

Rinse the shrimp and drain well. If needed, pat them dry with paper towels. Transfer the shrimp to a large Ziploc bag or mortar, then use a mallet, pestle, or anything heavy to pound them into a paste. Move the shrimp paste to a mixing bowl, then add the pork paste, tapioca starch, green onions, minced lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and optional MSG. Mix everything until well combined. Alternatively, toss everything together into a food processor and blend until smooth. The texture won’t be quite as bouncy, but it’s a lot faster.

Step 2

Wear disposable gloves and lightly oil your hands. Divide the shrimp mixture into 16 equal portions. Take one portion and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place a sugarcane skewer on top and mold the shrimp paste around it. You can wrap the mixture at the end of the sugarcane to resemble a lollipop or in the middle to resemble corn on the cob. Once assembled, transfer the shrimp skewers to an oiled sheet pan and repeat with the remaining mixture.

Step 3

Lightly brush the skewers with oil and air fry at 380°F for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through.​

Step 4

Preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the skewers for about 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through.​

Step 5

Heat a light layer of oil in a pan over medium-high. Cook the skewers, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy (about 5 minutes total). Make sure you use a non-stick skillet!

Step 6

Enjoy them straight off the skewer as an appetizer or in a full meal by removing the shrimp paste from the sugarcane and wrap it in lettuce or rice paper with fresh herbs. Enjoy the rolls with Vietnamese fish sauce (nước chấm) or sweet chili sauce.