Shrimp Paste or Shrimp Cakes

In the Vietnamese cuisine, delicious dishes from shrimp are always loved not only for their sweet and nutritious taste but also for their beautiful shape and easy-to-make methods. Therefore, shrimp is selected in a variety of menus from rustic low income families to luxurious high-class societies. Today, I want to share a recipe about shrimp paste with a simpler method. With shrimp paste on hand, it is easy to create other recipes that require shrimp paste. In coastal areas, fresh shrimp is the best choice for this recipe. However, to make it simpler, frozen shrimp is not a bad choice.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs frozen shrimp

1/2 tbs salt

Seasonings:

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs cornstarch

1/4 cup oil

Directions:

Thaw shrimp. Then peel and devein. You also can buy the frozen shrimp without shells.

Drain and dry each shrimp . This step is important for this recipe. It will help shrimp paste have ductility.

Add salt onto shrimp and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

After 3 hours, season shrimp with the seasonings and mix well.

Place shrimp in a food processor and blend well into paste. Do not turn the food processor on the full power speed. Instead use the pulse function until the shrimp become a paste but still cold when touched.

Now you can shape the shrimp paste the way you like or put the shrimp paste in a Ziploc bag and freeze until ready to use.

To make shrimp cake:

Wash your hand and then dry your hand.

Use oil to wet your hand. This will help to form shrimp paste without sticking to your palm. 

I make shrimp paste into a round shape – about 1 inch thick and 2 inches diameter.

In a nonstick pan, add oil and bring oil to just barely hot.  Add shrimp cakes and fry over medium heat. Turn the shrimp cakes to the other side after turning golden.

Serve with rice. 

Tip: to flavor the shrimp paste, add green onion and cilantro.