The Vietnamese use a small indoor earthen stove fueled with coal set
on the table to simmer, boil and barbecue.I have broiled this dish
in an oven, with excellent results.Sugar cane makes this recipe
visually exciting and exotic.Its sweetness subtly melts into the
shrimp paste. Sugar cane comes fresh and canned in better Asian
markets; the former is scarce and very expensive.Check with the
grocery clerk to make certain that you are buying the 6- to 7-inch
long stalks, not the cubes.The recipe serves well as a buffet
appetizer or as a first course for a dinner party.
Shell and devein the shrimp.Toss with salt; let sit for 10 minutes.
Rinse with cold water; drain thoroughly.Blot dry. In a food
processor, finely mince the garlic and shallots.Add sugar, pepper,
toasted rice powder, fish sauce, and shrimp; process into a smooth
paste.
With the machine running, pour the ice water through the feed tube;
process until the shrimp is light and fluffy.Cover and refrigerate.
Pour vegetable oil into a small bowl.Place a wire cooling rack on a
baking sheet; brush with oil.
Cut the sugar cane lengthwise into quarters to make 12 long strips.
Dip your fingers into the oil, then take about 2 tablespoons shrimp
paste and evenly mold a 1-inch cylinder around a sugar cane strip,
leaving 1 inch free at both ends.
Arrange the rolls on the rack diagonally, and keep them from touching
each other.
Arrange the cucumber, mint and coriander leaves, and lettuce on a
platter; set aside.
Broil the shrimp rolls about 6 inches from the heat, turning once,
until the edges are bright orange and the filling feels firm to the
touch, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
To serve, take a rice paper sheet and set it on a plate.Dip a pastry
brush into a bowl of water.Brush the entire rice paper generously
with water.
Let it sit until the paper is pliable and somewhat flimsy.Put a
lettuce leaf on one end of the paper.
Place a cucumber sliver, mint and coriander leaves on top of the
lettuce.
Take a hot stick of sugar cane, break off the shrimp and place it on
top of the vegetables.Begin rolling up the paper to enclose the
filling; form it into the shape of a cylinder.Drip into the nuoc
Cham Dipping Sauce,. and take a bite, then chew on the sugar cane for
the sweetness (do not swallow the sugar cane).
NUOC CHAM DIPPING SAUCE: Grind the garlic, chiles and sugar into a
paste in a mortar, blender or mini-food processor. Stir in fish
sauce, lime and water.Strain into a dipping bowl.
NOTE: If sugar cane is not available, use a skewer or inexpensive
bamboo chopsticks.Soak them in water overnight before wrapping with
shrimp paste.
Makes 12 rolls or serves 6.
Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; December 13 1991.
