Tôm Rim Mặn Ngọt
Tôm Rim Mặn Ngọt·(tom rim mun ngot)
Bữa Cơm Gia Đình: The Weeknight Table
The smell of fish sauce and melting sugar hitting a hot pan is the undisputed dinner bell of a Vietnamese household. This isn't restaurant food; it's the fiercely savory, sticky stuff grandmothers throw together on a Tuesday. We're not hunting down live river prawns here—standard shell-on shrimp from the freezer aisle work beautifully, provided you nail the caramel. You want that sugar cooked to the exact dark amber of a roach wing before the shrimp go in. Serve it with a mountain of rice, eat it shell and all if you know what's good for you, and let the umami do the heavy lifting.
Before you start
Clean and ruthlessly dry the shrimp.
Thaw the shrimp completely and snip down the back to remove the vein, keeping the shell entirely intact. Pat them aggressively dry with paper towels, because any excess moisture will ruin your chance at a sticky glaze.
Give the shrimp a quick marinade.
In a large bowl, toss the dried shrimp with the fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, chicken bouillon, black pepper, and half of the minced garlic and shallot, letting them sit on the counter for exactly 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- medium shell-on tail-on shrimp1 1/2 lb
- fish sauce2 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- chicken bouillon powder1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- garlic3 med clove
- shallot1 large
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- granulated sugar2 tbsp
- scallions2 med
- Thai bird's eye chilies2 small
Method
- 01
Melt the sugar and oil for the caramel.
Place a large skillet or wok over medium-low heat and add the cooking oil and the 2 tablespoons of sugar, stirring gently to combine.
- 02
Cook the sugar to a deep, dark amber.
Watch it like a hawk as the sugar melts and transitions from blonde to a deep reddish-brown, and the second it hits that color, move immediately to the next step so it doesn't burn.
- 03
Fry the aromatics to halt the caramelization.
Throw in the remaining garlic, remaining shallot, and the white parts of the scallions, letting them sizzle violently for about 10 seconds until fragrant.
- 04
Glaze the shrimp over high heat.
Crank the heat to medium-high and dump in the shrimp along with every drop of their marinade, tossing vigorously for 5 to 8 minutes as the water evaporates and the sauce reduces into a thick, sticky syrup.
- 05
Finish with scallion greens and fresh heat.
Once the shrimp are curled and fiercely coated in the glossy glaze, cut the heat, toss in the scallion greens and chilies to soften, and finish with a crack of black pepper.
Notes
Leave the shells on.
The shell crisps up in the hot oil, traps the marinade, and protects the delicate meat from overcooking. Eat them shell and all, or peel them at the table—but cook them with the armor on.
Respect the clock on the marinade.
Shrimp proteins are delicate. Letting them sit in the salty fish sauce for more than 15 minutes will cure them into rubber, so toss them right before you start cooking.