Ann Le

Snow Peas and Shrimp Sauteed in Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Ɖậu Xào Tom

Preparation info

  • Serves

    4

    • 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

This popular Chinese-style dish is served at most large restaurant banquets or as a simple side dish at home. It is a great entree that combines different flavors: the sweetness of the snow peas, the umami of the shrimp, and the saltiness of the oyster sauce. Substituting tofu for the shrimp turns this into a great vegetarian dish. Long green beans can be substituted if snow peas are not available.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh snow peas
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 fresh Thai bird chile, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ⅔ pound fresh small or medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails intact
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 large onion, cut into 6 parts and separated
  • 5 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • ½ cup fresh or canned straw mushrooms
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • Fresh cilantro

    Method

    1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch the snow peas for 2 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and immediately place them in a bowl of ice water.
    2. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, oyster sauce, chopped chile, black pepper, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the raw shrimp to the bowl and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
    3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes before adding the garlic and cooking for another 3 minutes.
    4. With the skillet still on medium heat, add the sliced carrots and cook for several minutes, stirring quickly so that they cook evenly. Stir in the mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring for a few more minutes.
    5. Then add the shrimp and marinade and cook for another 5 minutes. Follow immediately with the snow peas. Cook for another few minutes, just until the peas and shrimp are warm.
    6. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cashews, and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with steamed rice.