Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 fresh red Thai chile, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Vegetable oil, for working
4 fresh sugarcane stalks, skin removed, flesh cut into 4-inch-long sticks, then quartered lengthwise
Green Papaya Salad (optional)
Lime-Chile Dipping Sauce (optional)
Preparation
Process shrimp, cilantro, garlic, chile, lime juice, fish sauce, egg white, and pepper in a food processor until a thick paste has formed. Transfer to a medium bowl. Chill in freezer 30 minutes.
With lightly oiled hands, shape 1 1/2 tablespoons shrimp paste into a ball; press ball onto center of a sugarcane stick, enclosing sugarcane but leaving ends exposed. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sugarcane sticks and shrimp paste. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Brush a bamboo or metal steamer basket with oil; place over boiling water in a wide saucepan or wok. Lay 8 sugarcane sticks in basket. Cover, and steam until shrimp paste just turns opaque, 5 to 6 minutes (be careful not to overcook). Transfer to a plate; let cool slightly. Repeat with remaining 8 sugarcane sticks.
Preheat broiler; heat a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet until hot. Lay sugarcane sticks on preheated sheet. Broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, preheat a grill or grill pan until hot but not smoking; brush shrimp paste and sugarcane with oil, and grill, flipping once, until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.) Serve with papaya salad and lime-chile sauce if desired.
