Unexpected uses for shrimp paste?

[tatamagouche]

I.e., in other than Asian dishes. Let's rule out Brazilian cuisine too. Anything else you use it for?

[mamachef]

You can use it in any casserole. You can make shrimp toasts, although that is Asian flava: just mix with minced water chestnuts, spread on toast soldiers, deepfry and sprinkle with sesame seeds. I don't see why a spoonful wouldn't work in a tuna salad, and it would be great stirred into shrimp bisque or chowder. Deviled eggs; that would work fine.

[Duppie]

Excellent ideas... I must explore and extend my repertoire. Thanks.

[JungMann]

Are we still talking about fermented shrimp paste? It seems like it would be very aggressively salty in shrimp toast. Personally I only use it after it has been cooked, which seems to bring out the innate sweetness of the shrimp.

[Cremon]

It does need to be cut with something. You can use onions or shallots plus some sugar and an acid (lime juice or vinegar). Even then, use in small quantities.

[mamachef]

Oh, goodness. I didn't get the fermented part, and yes you'd certainly need to cut it. I do think the shrimp toasts would work, though; and if you chopped plain bay shrimp into it that would be excellent foil esp. w the water chestnuts. But the deepfrying would certainly cook out some of the salt and fermented flavor

[Cremon]

You can use it on toast with something else (I have an example of using it on a bagel above - I put luttle thumbnail sized smears thinly on the bagel with the same size space in between them and cover with cream cheese). The flavor is very strong but amazing - you could do that on toast too. The cheese cuts the strength quite a bit.

[mamachef]

And what about using a maybe 3:1 ratio, creamed w/ butter or cream cheese? That bagel sounds very nice, even though I'm Jewish and it makes me just a wee cringey, like that freakin bacon bagel at J in the B.

[Cremon]

Well because this sauce uses shrimp, it's definitely not kosher. My wife and children are Jewish, though they don't follow kashrut dietary guidelines. But that ingredient is a deal killer if you are keeping a kosher home. Your ratio seems fine as long as you don't use the pure shrimp paste. If it's mixed with the onions etc then 3:1 would be awesome.

PS - I have never had bacon on a bagel. That seems so... wrong, LOL

[Cremon]

Bagel Flavoring!! Ok, I thought I would add this. A couple of months ago I made a large batch of malay sauce using the below recipe but instead of 2 tablespoons, I used half the container (roughly 5 oz of product was used). I added 1 minced garlic clove, about 6 shallots, 2 tablespoons of palm sugar and 1/4 cup of lime juice. I literally built a camp fire in the woods about 100 feet behind my house to cook it because the smell is so powerful. Anyway I put the finished product in a snap lock container - stuck that inside a ziploc bag with the air squeezed out and stuck THAT in another ziploc. After sitting 2 months I opened it and the smell was not nearly as strong. I took a bagel, toasted half of it, put a little butter on it and then put a small amount of that paste above (right out of the fridge - no heating so the paste was thick) spread VERY thinly on parts of the bagel and covered that with onion & chive cream cheese. It was incredible. It gave it a major flavor blast. Just use the paste sparingly.

[jboberg]

Just a head's up - it's yummy stuff, but if you are adding it to something that generally doesn't contain it, and then sharing it, be sure to warn the people who are eating it. Shrimp paste and powder is a killer for people with shellfish allergies, and since you can't see it and may not suspect the dish contains it, can be a big problem.

[Duppie]

This being CH,I believe that is taken for granted but thanks for the reminder.

[Duppie]

We keep not only Filipino Bagoong for seasoning typical dishes but also Cincalok for seasoning green mango or papaya salads and dips. A steady and measured hand is helpful when using either.

[JungMann]

Can you describe the difference between baggong alamang and cincalok? I thought the latter was similar but wetter and fresher.

[Duppie]

It is but recipes seem to vary between manufactures,It is definitely fresher ,less processed and seasoned than Bagoong but there is a puff of built up gas pressure upon opening so fresher may not be the word I'm looking for. It does differ significantly to Bagoong also in it's saltiness and shrimpy aftertaste so maybe fresh is the word after all.

[huiray]

I made a pot of meat sauce for pasta from leftover roast lamb yesterday with sambal terasi added in. Yum.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8193...

[Cremon]

I use it to make what is called "Malay sauce". To make it I use the below:

2 round tablespoons shrimp paste

1 tablespoon sugar or palm sugar

1 minced thai chili pepper

3 Tbs minced shallots

3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs fresh squeezed lime juice

Saute the shallots for under a minute in 1 teaspoon of the oil.

Add the shrimp paste and saute that for another 3-5 minutes stirring and working over the paste with a wooden spoon and incorporating the shallot bits into the paste (I suggest doing this outside in a small pan on your grill as this will smell up the house).

Remove from heat and mix in the rest of the oil, the sugar, lime juice and the minced chili peppers. It should have the consistency of asian chili paste when its done (i.e. neither liquid nor completely solid anymore).

I will use the above sauce for fried seafood. A restaurant that showed me how to make that sauce serves it with their fried squid and shrimp. I will spoon it over the seafood and eat that with steamed rice. But be aware - while extremely tasty, it will wreck your breath.

Always toast or cook this paste before using it. It is NOT meant to be used raw.

[huiray]

Sounds tasty. Just curious, why do you call it "Malay sauce"?
It seems to skate between Indonesian/Malay/Thai/Vietnamese/Nyonya/Malaysian-Chinese/Singaporean-Chinese cuisines and variations of what you describe (and/or with more stuff added) I think would be found in all of these cuisines...

[bushwickgirl]

Well, the poster could call it IMTVNMCSC sauce but Malay is easier to remember and pronounce.

[Cremon]

The name came from a Cantonese Chinese restaurant in Atlanta that I adore. One of those places where if you aren't Chinese, you stand out because all the other customers are. The staff bring out their chili paste, mustard and duck sauce jars - and another bowl with malay sauce - their word for it - when you get seated. I assume because it's made with belacan which is Malaysian shrimp paste but that is just a guess on my part.

But I spoon the stuff liberally on garlic snow pea leaves (a vegetable course they have that is bursting with flavor) and straw vegetables (another awesome veggie dish like the snow pea leaves) as well as on their pan fried spicy squid. The owner of the place finally showed me how they make it and the above recipe works - mince the shallots finely and it makes kind of a chunky, salty-sweet sauce with a rich umani flavor. Just uber savory in my opinion but no romantic liasons after that stuff - your breath will be TRULY horrific until you brush and rinse with mouthwash THOROUGHLY. There have been times I could knock a buzzard off a gut truck just by exhaling after leaving that place. And I won't go NEAR my wife and kids until I get alone with a toothbrush.

[ipsedixit]

I've added to French Onion Soup and meatloaf with surprisingly good results. It also adds a nice dimension to homemade BBQ sauces and chilis.

[tatamagouche]

Now those are indeed unexpected uses! Do you just replace the salt?

[Paulustrious]

I agree with the meat loaf. I added some to (part of) the stuffing this Thanksgiving. (Canadian)

To Tatamagouche. I've added it to cauliflower cheese. Not a lot of it, just a background flavour. For a more intense flavour modification I turn to tom yum sauce. I suspect that might work well with French onion soup.

Last night as an experiment I added it to a moules marinieres. It ended up too fishy so I won't repeat that.

[celeryroot]

Normally it is toasted before putting in something. I usually put amount to be used in foil and put on burner . Turn over to other side. It has a distinct smell . Keep, left over, wrapped well in refridgerator.
I use in some Thai curry ...... and in various southeast asian dishes. It does not have to be a dish with seafood , it goes well with various meat dishes and adds a element of flavor. Do not use a large amount a small bit goes along way.

[Miss Needle]

I've only used it for Asian food, but I think it would probably work in dishes where anchovies are called for.

[Paulustrious]

I use it ....
Mixed with goat cheese sandwich.
In any left over stew / soup where I don't want it to taste exactly the same as yesterday.
In 'Indian' curries
In cheese sauce
Tomato sauce
In oil when stir-frying vegetables

[tatamagouche]

"In cheese sauce"? What do you mean?

[Veggo]

I don't have the paste, but I sometimes use the powdered shrimp base in deviled eggs, and a salad with hearts of palm, nopalitos, and roasted peppers.
A little goes a long way.

[tatamagouche]

Indeed. I added too much to a shrimp-bok choy frittata the other day and the thing was inedible.

But I kind of like using it instead of salt, so I just thought I'd see if anyone else had tested its limits. Deviled eggs sound like an interesting possibility.

[scubadoo97]

To ward off anyone withing 100 yards?