Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp-cake Skewers (Chao Tom)
Sweet and savory grilled shrimp paste wrapped around sugarcane skewers — a classic Vietnamese party appetizer.
Equipment
- Grill or grill pan
- Mixing bowl
- Sugarcane skewers
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled, deveined and grounded
- 6-8 pieces sugarcane peeled and cut into 4-inch long pieces by 1/2 inch (fresh, or use canned sugarcane)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons shallot minced
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine minced garlic, minced shallot, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt and black pepper.
- Add the peeled deveined, grounded shrimp mix evenly and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Preheat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Mix in 1 egg to bind and thread grounded shrimp onto sugarcane stick, making sure the shrimp is secure.
- Brush the grill or grill pan with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- Place the shrimp sugarcane skewers on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the shrimp is cooked through and has a nice char.
- Serve the shrimp on sugarcane skewers hot with your favorite dipping sauce over fresh herbs, lettuce and vermicelli rice noodles or just by itself.
Notes
Enjoy your delicious shrimp on sugarcane!