Stir Fry Sweet Corn with Dried Shrimps 🇻🇳

                

                                                         

                                                                                

The humble sweetcorn is turned effortlessly into an appetising side dish in this recipe of Vietnamese origin.  When I saw Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyen introducing this in a television series as a Saigon street food, I decided it would be something I like to make.  Use fresh ears of corn, not the tin ones.  You will be rewarded.  I stand the cobs up on a large tray lined with a tea towel and slice the kernels off with a serrated knife.  Works for me but if you've got a better way of doing it, by all means. The essential ingredient in this dish is the dried shrimps, available from Asian grocery stores.  Get a packet and you will find use for them in many other recipes.  Keep them in a lidded jar in the refrigerator.

Serves 3-4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ears of sweet corn
• ¼ cup dried shrimps
• ⅓ cup chopped spring onions (separate the white parts and the green parts
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

METHOD

1. Soak dried shrimps in a small bowl with warm water just covering them for about 20 minutes until soften.  Drain and chop them roughly into small pieces.
2. Remove corn kernels from the cobs.  
3. Heat the oil and butter in a wok or a large frying pan over high heat.  Add the dried shrimps and the chopped white part of the spring onions.  Stir fry for about 1 minute until aromatic.
4. Add the corn kernels.  Toss and stir to combine.  Continue the action for a few minutes until the kernels are cooked through.
5. Add fish sauce and mix well.  Have a taste.  Add a pinch of salt as necessary.  Garnish with the chopped green part of the spring onions.  Serve hot with white rice.