Ann Le

Grilled Shrimp with Garlic, Lemongrass, and Chili Paste

Tom Nủỏ́ng Tỏi Xã Ỏ́t

Preparation info

  • Serves

    2

    as an Entree

    • Difficulty

      Medium

Appears in

Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine And Culture In Southern California's Little Saigon

Little Saigon Cookbook

By Ann Le

Published 2011

  • About

Like most other seafoods, when shrimp is grilled on a grill pan or barbecue, it takes on a strong, smoky scent. The smoke brings out the garlic and lemongrass. But alternatively, you can pan-fry or sauté the shrimp in the marinade to create a sauce to drizzle over your steamed rice or noodles— preferably an herb noodle salad. Just a little bit of fresh mint is all the accent you need.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemongrass
  • 5 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon chili paste
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
  • ½ pound fresh medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails intact
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 6 pieces and separated
  • Chopped fresh mint

    Method

    1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemongrass, garlic, chili paste, fish sauce, sugar, oil, lime juice, pepper, and scallions until the sugar is dissolved.
    2. Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss so that all the shrimp are completely coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
    3. Prepare the grill. While it is heating, skewer the shrimp and onion, alternating between them. Lightly brush with marinade.
    4. Place the skewers over the hot grill. Brush again with any remaining marinade. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning the shrimp over just once. The shrimp are cooked when they have turned pinkish in color and curled slightly.
    5. Garnish the shrimp and onion skewers with the chopped mint and serve with nuoc cham as an appetizer. Or serve with rice or bun for a meal.