Not surprisingly—Vietnamese food is only occasionally hot—this isn’t as blistering as the vegetarian Thai version on page 174. You can buy Vietnamese chili garlic paste at any store selling Asian ingredients; it keeps nearly forever in the refrigerator. Fish sauces like nam pla and nuoc mam are discussed on page 500. Palm sugar is available at many Asian markets, but brown sugar is indistinguishable in flavor.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Salt the shrimp, then grill or broil it until just cooked, or put it in a saucepan with salted water to cover, bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the shrimp sit in the water until cool. When cool, slice the shrimp in half lengthwise, as if you were butterflying it.
Step 2
Meanwhile, toss the papaya, sprouts, herbs, and scallion together in a large bowl. Whisk together the chili-garlic paste, lime juice, nam pla, and sugar, along with a little salt and a lot of pepper; taste and adjust the seasoning. Toss the dressing with the papaya-herb mixture, then top with the shrimp and peanuts. Toss again at the table and serve.
