Goi Oc Giac (Sea Snail and Green Papaya Salad), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener
Vietnamese dishesSaladsSouthern Vietnam5 to 7 minutes boiling the snails, 5 minutes in iced water, 5 to 10 minutes tossing and resting
Goi oc giac is good because the snail meat stays springy against sweet and sour shredded green papaya. The difficulty is the pot, since a few minutes too long turns the meat rubbery.
The snails boil for 5 to 7 minutes with bruised lemongrass and chili, then go straight into a basin of iced water for about 5 minutes so the meat tightens and crisps. The papaya and carrot are shredded very fine, tossed with half the dressing and pressed lightly so they take it up. Two snails of about 500g feed four.
This batch weighs about 1.6kg, at roughly 105 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse the snails under running water and scrub the outside of the shells lightly. Soak them in lightly salted water at a ratio of 1 tablespoon salt to one liter of water for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse 2 to 3 times and drain.
Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Bruise 3 stalks of lemongrass and 2 bird's eye chilies. Once the water boils, add the snails, turn the heat to high and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, dropping in the bruised lemongrass and chili to clear any smell.
Lift the snails out immediately and put them in a basin of iced water for about 5 minutes so the meat tightens and turns springy.
Peel the papaya and carrot and shred them finely into a large bowl. Pick the Vietnamese coriander leaves and chop them, cut the sawtooth herb into lengths, and slice the remaining lemongrass thinly.
Boil 2 red horn chilies over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes until soft, then let them cool. Mix 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt and 6 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and stir until dissolved.
Remove the stems from the horn chilies, then blend them with the seasoning mixture in a mortar or blender until smooth to make the dressing.
Take 3 tablespoons of the dressing, add 2 teaspoons fish sauce and 1.5 tablespoons water and stir to make the dipping sauce.
Pull the snail meat out of the shells and slice it thinly.
Pour half the dressing over the bowl of vegetables, toss and press lightly. Pour the other half over the sliced snail, add 1 teaspoon fried shallot oil, toss and leave for 5 minutes.
Add another 1 teaspoon fried shallot oil to the vegetables, scatter in 50g roasted peanuts and the sliced lemongrass, and toss a final time. Spread the vegetables on a plate, arrange the snail on top, scatter with 2 teaspoons sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon fried shallots, and serve with 10 prawn crackers.
Tips
Light rice rinsing water works in place of salted water: soak for 15 to 20 minutes and it draws the grit out naturally.
Shred the green papaya and carrot very fine so they stay crisp, hold together and release less water in the bowl.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so leave the dressing 5 minutes before pouring it over.
Slice the sea snail thin on the diagonal, since thick pieces stay chewy and will not take up the dressing.
Toss the snail and the vegetables separately before layering them, and the salad will not go watery on the plate.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.