How to make delicious, simple, and attractive Hue shrimp paste

How to make Hue Shrimp Cake

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients

  For the shrimp, peel and remove the heads along with the intestinal string, then rub with 1/3 teaspoon of salt and rinse with clean water, then drain. After that, soak the shrimp in a bowl of fresh coconut water for about 30 minutes, remove the shrimp and use a clean towel to absorb the excess water.

  For the pork fat, rinse it briefly with water and cut it into small dice about the size of 1/2 of a finger. For the shallots and garlic, peel and slice them thinly.

  As for the duck egg, separate the yolk into a bowl and add 1/3 teaspoon of cashew oil, then stir well (do not whisk).

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Pound the shrimp meat

  Put the shrimp (after soaking in coconut water) into a mortar and season with 1/3 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/3 teaspoon of pepper, 1/3 teaspoon of rock sugar, and add all the sliced shallots and garlic into the mortar, using a pestle to pound the mixture until fine.

  Then, add 1/2 of the egg white (after separating the yolk) into the shrimp mixture, and pound for another 2 minutes.

  

  
• 3

  Mixing shrimp meat

  You place the shrimp mixture (already ground) on a slightly large plate and add all the diced pork fat, mix well and knead until the shrimp meat feels slightly firm (about 5 – 10 minutes).

  

  
• 4

  Wrapping and steaming the cake

  You line a clean surface with parchment paper, then place all the shrimp meat (just mixed) into a square or rectangular shape according to your preference. Next, you brush all the remaining egg white over the surface of the shrimp meat.

  Place the steamer on the stove, wait for the water to boil, then place the shrimp meat (with parchment paper) into the pot, cover with a cloth over the pot’s mouth to prevent steam from dripping onto the surface of the cake, and tightly cover the lid to steam for 30 minutes over high heat.

  

  
• 5

  Completion

  Open the pot lid, use a dry paper towel (the strong type) to absorb excess water on the surface of the cake, then spread the entire surface of the cake with the egg yolk mixture. Continue steaming over medium heat, without covering the pot until the egg yolk layer is dry, then turn off the heat.

  

  
• 6

  Final Product

  Hue shrimp cake has an appealing orange layer on the outside. The shrimp cake is chewy, fragrant, and has a moderate flavor. You can eat it directly or pair it with bread, wet cake, rolled cake, or some soup dishes like beef noodle soup and rice noodle soup, which are also very delicious.