Vietnamese Style Shrimp Fritters with Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

Serves 4 or appetizers for 8-10  See Mike’s blog post

• 1 lb. wild gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
• 2 eggs
• 3 scallions, white section and some of green, chopped
• 1 T lime juice
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup julienned carrots cut in 1 1/4 inch lengths
• 2 T minced fresh lemongrass (remove tough outer skin, slice in half lengthwise, pound to bring out oils & flavor before mincing)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 T baking powder
• 1/2 t red bird’s eye chili (Thai chili), minced
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Fish Sauce Vinaigrette (Nuoc Cham)

• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 red bird’s eye chilies, finely chopped
• 6 T sugar
• 12 oz. water
• 1/2 cup fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Prepare the nuoc cham by dissolving the sugar in water and adding the rest of the ingredients. Easy!

Pre-heat oven to around 150º (to keep fritters warm between batches)

For the fish cakes start out by peeling and deveining the shrimp. Rinse, pat dry and chop into chunks a little under 1/4 inch.

Next beat the eggs in a mixing bowl then stir in the milk. Whisk in the flour and baking powder then add the rest of the ingredients.

Over medium heat in a heavy pan or skillet add enough oil to cover fritters (about 1 inch deep). If you have a thermometer 350º is where you want to be. When oil is hot, with a soup spoon, add the fritters to oil. Don’t worry if they are imperfect in shape, but keep them all close to 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter. After about 2 minutes the fritters will start to brown. Flip them and after another 2 min., start turning them till they are cooked through, I cut into one to make sure the shrimp is opaque in the center.

Serve with dipping sauce.