Chả ốc (Vietnamese Snail Patties)

A firm and bouncy pork paste studded with crunchy chopped snails. The intense aroma of lemongrass infuses the meat during steaming.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 513
• Protein: 42 g
• Carbs: 16 g
• Fat: 31 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Ground pork ( very fine )
• 200 g Buccinum undatum ( cooked, shelled and roughly chopped )
• 20 g wood ear mushroom ( rehydrated and minced )
• 2 piece Shallot ( minced )
• 4 piece lemongrass ( into sticks )
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Potato starch
• 1 tsp Black pepper ground
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 200 g Giò sống (raw pork paste) ( at room temperature )
• 16 piece Wild betel leaves ( washed and dried )

Instructions

1. Mushroom preparation

   Rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms in warm water. Once soft, drain and chop them very finely with a knife.

2. Chopping the whelks

   Clean the whelks. Coarsely chop them with a knife to keep some texture; you don't want a puree, but distinct pieces.

3. Mixing the filling

   In a mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, giò sống, whelks, mushrooms, minced shallots, fish sauce, pepper, ginger, and starch. Knead thoroughly by hand until the mixture becomes sticky and homogeneous.

4. Shaping

   Cut the lemongrass stalks into 10 cm pieces. Form balls of filling, wrap each ball in a wild betel leaf (lá lốt), then insert a lemongrass stick into the center. Press firmly so the meat adheres to the stick and the leaf.

5. Steaming

   Place the chả ốc in a steamer basket. Cook covered for 15 minutes. The filling should be firm to the touch.

Chef's tips

• Knead the meat vigorously; working the proteins is what creates that essential bouncy texture.
• Do not use a food processor for the snails; you would lose the textural contrast that defines the dish.

Storage

Keep for 2 days in the fridge. Best reheated by steaming to maintain moisture.