Cơm cháy chà bông is a Vietnamese snack made from cooked rice pressed into a thin sheet and fried until golden, then topped with a sweet-salty fish sauce glaze, fried dried shrimp, shredded pork (chà bông), scallion oil and fried dried onions. It’s a good thing to make on a rainy day, and it uses rice that’s a little dry, so yesterday’s leftover rice is exactly what you want. Ingredients 200 g cooked rice, slightly dry A bunch of scallions 100 g dried shrimp 4 dried onions Shredded pork (chà bông); you can buy it in any Vietnamese restaurant Garlic Fish sauce, sugar and a little MSG Pepper and spices Cooking oil Chilli sauce, to serve (optional) How to make cơm cháy chà bông 1. Make the fish sauce glaze Heat some oil in a pan and fry a little minced garlic until fragrant. Add fish sauce, sugar and a little MSG and let it cook down until it thickens. Taste it: it should be both sweet and salty. Take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool. This glaze is what seasons the rice, so take your time getting the balance right. 2. Make the scallion oil and the shrimp topping Chop the scallions and put them in a cup or small bowl. Heat some oil in a pan, and when it’s hot, pour it over the scallions and stir. Soak the dried shrimp in water until soft, then drain them and grind them finely in a blender. Heat a pan with a little oil, add a few cloves of minced garlic, and once the garlic is golden and fragrant, add the ground shrimp. Season to taste. Add the shredded pork and fry everything together until fragrant. 3. Fry the dried onions Peel and slice the dried onions, then fry them until golden. 4. Press and fry the rice Press the rice into a brass tray or a mould so it forms a thin sheet, about as thick as a finger joint. Heat a pan, add the rice and fry it until golden. Take it out and let it dry. 5. Top and serve Spoon the fish sauce glaze over the fried rice, then scatter over the shrimp and shredded pork, the scallion oil and the fried dried onions. Lay the pieces on a plate. If you like heat, add pepper or chilli sauce. Share:
