Wrapped With Memories : <i> Banh Tom </i> Combines Seasoned Shrimp and Sweet Potato in a Vietnamese Cake

WHEN VIETNAMESE people come to the United States in search of the land of opportunity, they look for foods that remind them of home. I was no exception. Ten years ago, I moved to New York City, and I couldn’t find the home-style dishes I grew up with--not even in Vietnamese restaurants. So I began experimenting in my kitchen with the hope of duplicating the meals of my childhood.

My father was French, and my sister and I were educated in France, but my mother was Vietnamese and the source of my culinary inspiration. She insisted that I learn the culture and cuisine of her country. My mother equated food with love and giving and was well known among her friends for her familiar call: “Do come over to eat.” Whether she prepared the simplest dish or the most elaborate, she always expected a large crowd and imparted a sense of festivity to our meals.

Memories of my mother’s cooking come alive in a shrimp and sweet potato delicacy called banh tom (or banh cong , which means shrimp cake ). In many ways, it is typical of her cooking. She used only fresh ingredients: seafood and sweet potato--a root vegetable introduced into Vietnam about 400 years ago by Portuguese missionaries.

She started by making a batter with flour, water and mashed fresh shrimp and lacing it with finely shredded sweet potato and scallions. She seasoned the mixture with garlic, turmeric and nuoc mam --an indispensable Vietnamese condiment derived from anchovies and salt--then shaped the batter into flat, round cakes for frying. After draining the fried cakes, she arranged them on a platter of lettuce and aromatic herbs and served them with a chile pepper and garlic sauce.

Many Vietnamese delicacies such as banh tom are served on lettuce leaves so that diners can assemble their own little packets. A small piece of the shrimp cake is wrapped with lettuce, fresh coriander, mint and cucumber in moistened, tortilla-shaped rice paper for texture and flavor contrast. The paper is then rolled up, burrito-style. Finally, the roll is dunked into a hot sauce called Nuoc Cham. This do-it-yourself wrapping may sound messy but, as with Mexican tacos, it translates into fun and informality.

To me, few tastes are so immediately gratifying. The first bite of this succulent bundle brings back memories of my family and my homeland.

BANH TOM

(Shrimp and Sweet Potato Cakes) Nuoc Cham (Spicy Fish Sauce; recipe follows) 1 pound 6 1/2-inch rice paper rounds (banh trang, see note) 2 large heads Boston or other soft lettuce, separated into individual leaves 3 cups fresh coriander leaves 3 cups fresh mint leaves 1 small cucumber, peeled in alternating stripes, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly crosswise 48 raw medium shrimp (about 3 pounds) 2 tablespoons nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce, see note) 4 large garlic cloves, minced Freshly ground black pepper 4 cups cake flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound) 4 scallions, finely sliced Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Prepare Nuoc Cham . Set aside. Cover the rice papers with damp cloth and then with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature until needed. Arrange lettuce leaves, herbs and cucumber slices on platter. Wrap and refrigerate.

Shell and devein shrimp, leaving tails attached on 32 shrimp. Combine tailed shrimp, nuoc mam , garlic and black pepper in a bowl, to taste. Mix well and refrigerate. Cut tail-less shrimp into fine pieces. Using the back of a cleaver, mash shrimp to paste, but retain some texture of shrimp. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, turmeric and black pepper. Make a well in center and pour in 2 1/2 cups of cold water, stirring constantly with whisk until very smooth; batter should have consistency of thick cream.

Pare sweet potatoes, slice paper-thin and shred into very thin strands. Add potatoes, scallions and mashed shrimp to batter; mix well.

If possible, fry in 2 skillets. Pour 1 inch oil into each skillet and heat until very hot but not smoking.

Meanwhile, shape the cakes: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of potato mixture onto saucer and lightly press 1 whole shrimp into center. Holding saucer close to oil’s surface, gently push cake into oil with spoon. Fry cakes, 3 or 4 at a time, about 2 minutes, spooning hot oil over each cake. Regulate heat so cakes cook evenly without burning. Carefully turn cakes, shrimp side down, and cook 2 more minutes. When cakes are crisp and golden brown, drain on paper towels. Keep warm in low oven while frying remaining cakes. Arrange shrimp cakes, shrimp side up, on heated platter.

To eat, dip a rice paper round in bowl of warm water till pliable and place on dinner plate. Add leaf of lettuce to rice paper, then 1/2 piece of shrimp cake, 1 slice of cucumber, several sprigs of coriander and mint and some shredded carrot and daikon from fish sauce. Rice paper is then rolled up to form a neat package. The roll is dipped in Nuoc Cham and eaten by hand.

Makes 8 servings (32 shrimp cakes).

Note: If you are fortunate enough to find fresh prawns, you can leave them unshelled and place them on top of batter for an authentic touch. Idaho potatoes can be substituted for sweet potatoes. Fritters can be prepared in advance and reheated in oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.

Nuoc Cham (Spicy Fish Sauce) 8 small garlic cloves, crushed and peeled 4 small fresh red chile peppers, minced 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice 1 cup rice vinegar 1 cup nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce, see note) 2 large carrots, peeled and finely shredded 1 small daikon (or 2 small turnips), peeled and finely shredded

Combine garlic, chiles and sugar in mortar. Pound with pestle to fine paste. Add lime juice, vinegar, nuoc mam and 1 cup cold water. Stir to blend. (Another method is to place all ingredients in blender and mix for 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves.)

Add carrot and daikon shreds to sauce.

Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Banh trang and nuoc mam, a condiment similar to but stronger than Thai nam pla, are available at most Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai markets.

Food styled by Nicole Routhier; props styled by Linda Johnson; plates from the Frank McIntosh Shop at Henri Bendel, New York.