Tom Rim Man (Carmelized Garlic Shrimp) and Banh Tom (Hanoi Shrimp Cakes)

A country by the sea, Vietnam has many great shrimp dishes; and, living along the Gulf Coast, I myself find shrimp to be a staple ingredient in our home.  Despite my earlier parameters for the country of the month "challenge" (wherein I only make 1 entree, appetizer and dessert per country), I decided to buck my own system and make a second entree.  After all, these rules were haphazard at best; and, I kind of shortchanged Vietnam anyway by considering coffee a dessert. 

So, with that in mind, I owed it to Vietnam to do better.  And better came in the form of Tom Rim Man (carmelized garlic shrimp) which was set to be a perfect, albeit redundant, accompaniment to the Banh Tom (Hanoi Shrimp Cakes).  Though I was skeptical of the use of sweet potatoes in the shrimp cakes, they really turned out to be a nice contrast in flavor and texture to the shrimp.  There was a learning curve, in terms of making them the right consistency; but, once it was conquered the results spoke loudly and clearly.  Triumph!  A truly wonderful and tasty side dish!  My tip to the novice: if the batter is too watery, just keep adding that rice flour like there's no tomorrow.  In the end, the only way you can really mess up fried food is to burn it.  Keep from doing that and you'll be considered a shrimp cake genius.

As for the main course, the carmelized garlic shrimp, it was another simple and flavorful stir fry compliments of the Asian mainland.  Served over a bed of rice, the sweetness of the shallots and tangy flavor of the fish sauce made it just perfect for a night when you want something satisfying and unique in your belly.  Definitely a do-over meal.  Definitely something I shouldn't have put off for the very end of the month!

Tom Rim Man Ingredients:

• 2/3 pound raw medium shrimp, deveined preferrably
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 5 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2 inch lengths

Instructions:

1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the shrimp and sugar and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add the garlic and shallot, stir 1 minute, then add the water, fish sauce and salt. 
4. Reduce the heat and cook until the shrimp are done and the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute.
5. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice and cilantro.

Banh Tom Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 scallions, cut into thin rings
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into matchstick strips
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, rice flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, scallions and water. Set aside for 10 minutes. Fold in the sweet potatoes and shrimp. Do not overmix.
2. Heat 1 inch of oil in a medium skillet until it reaches 330 degrees. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of shrimp batter in the middle of a flat metal spatula. Pat the batter down slightly to form a loose, irregular cake about 1/4 inches thick.
3. Gently push the cake into the hot oil. Fry the cake, turning it over once, until evenly brown and cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, cooking only 3 or 4 cakes at a time. Keep the cakes warm in a preheated low oven until ready to serve.

(The original recipe came from "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham.)