Sugarcane Shrimp with Fine Woven Vermicelli Noodles / Banh Hoi Chao Tom
Vietnamese cuisine is renowned for its fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and beautiful presentations. One dish that exemplifies these qualities is Bánh Hỏi Chạo Tôm—a delightful combination of deep-fried shrimp paste on sugarcane and delicate fine woven rice vermicelli sheets. This dish is meant to be served family-style and does a phenomenal job of bringing friends
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 20 oz Canned Sugarcane
- Oil (For Frying)
- 2 lbs Peeled Shrimp
- 1/2 lbs Pork Fat
- 3 stalks Green Onion (White Part Only)
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 Egg Whites
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 12 oz Fine Woven Rice Vermicelli
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Pickled Veggies
- Nuoc Cham
Instructions
- 1
Chao Tom (Sugarcane Shrimp):
- 2
Blend small pieces of pork fat in a food processor until it becomes a paste. Add cleaned and peeled shrimp, chopped green onions (whites only), minced garlic, fish sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, egg white, and cornstarch. Process until smooth. Let the shrimp paste settle in the fridge for at least half an hour
- 3
Drain sugarcane and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut sugarcane into quarters lengthwise
- 4
To form the Chao Tom, apply plenty of oil to your hands to prevent shrimp paste from sticking. Add a spoonful of the shrimp paste to the middle of your palm, add a piece of sugarcane, wrap the shrimp paste around, and roll in your palm until the exterior is smooth
- 5
Heat oil to 350F, and deep fry for 3-5minutes or until the chao tom is cooked through and golden brown
- 6
Banh Hoi (Fine Woven Vermicelli):
- 7
Bring up a big pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of oil
- 8
Drop in sheets of fine woven vermicelli noodles and cook for 1 minute
- 9
Drain vermicelli noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process
- 10
Lay single layers of sheets of vermicelli noodles on a plate or container and brush with scallion oil. Stack noodles, and continue to brush oil in between layers to prevent the sheets from sticking together
- 11
Serve:
- 12
Arrange fresh vegetables, noodles, and sugar cane shrimp, along with nuoc cham, on a platter
- 13
To enjoy, make a lettuce wrap with your choice of toppings!