Grilled prawn mousse on sugarcane (Chạo tôm)

1. Peel the prawns, pat them very dry and chill for 30 minutes – cold prawns bind better.

2. In a processor, work the prawns with the garlic, shallot, egg white, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper and cornflour into a smooth, sticky paste.

3. Split the sugarcane into finger-thick sticks 10 cm long; with oiled hands, press the paste around the middle of each stick about 1 cm thick, leaving both ends free.

4. Steam the sticks for 5 minutes so the paste sets.

5. Brush with oil and cook on a hot grill or griddle pan for 4-6 minutes, turning, until golden and lightly charred.

6. Serve with rice noodles, lettuce, mint and a lime and fish sauce dip; once eaten, chew the sugarcane – it has a sweet juice.

Tip: A festive starter from the imperial cuisine of Huế. If you have no sugarcane, shape the paste around thick lemongrass stalks or wooden skewers – but the sweetness of the cane is special.