Pa-ok.
(Pickle shrimp.)

Pickle shrimp *Pa-ok* is Khmer authentic recipe that originated from world famous seafood export *Karmourn Sor* Rach Gia province. Compare to everywhere else, shrimp is expensive but not in Kampuchea Krom where fish and shrimp is abundant, and where the poor people eat mainly fish and shrimp.
Fresh raw shrimp pickle in sweet and spicy fish sauce with shredded papaya is one of my childhood favorite foods. Pa-ok is tasty with rice especially when pa-ok mix with boiled pork belly and fresh chopped mint leaves as shown in the photo.
To make this dish, shrimp must be fresh. Prefer white shrimp, because it has less odor and iodine than red or pink color shrimp.Fresh white shrimp usually greenish gray color and not white, but that’s how the name given in English. Fresh shrimp don’t have strong odor, look plumper and firmer.
• Ingredients :
  • 1/3 Cup best fish sauce, (usually lighter color fish sauce taste better and cost more)
  • 5 Cloves fresh garlic, sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • ½ oz Fresh galanga root, sliced thin
  • 1 lb Fresh medium size headless shrimp, rinsed under cold water and drained
  • Dozen whole hot chili pepper
  • 10 days later:
  • You’ll need 2 cups shredded, fresh green papaya(or shredded green mango)
  • ¼ Cup shredded, boneless fermented fish(Mam), or pickle fish(Pahok)
• Procedures :
  In a small sauce-pan, put fish sauce with garlic, galanga and sugar together and cook till sauce bubbling. Removed sauce from hot stove and set a side to cool off.
  In a large mixing bowl, mix shrimp and hot chili pepper together, pour prepared fish sauce over, stirs well.
  Packed shrimp and sauce in a glass jar or plastic container, pressed shrimp down, sealed jar tight with lid and sun dried it for 10 days.
  After 10 days, pour pickle shrimp out in a large mix bowl, add shredded fresh green papaya and Mam (or Pahok) mix well.
  Stuffs pickle(pa-ok) shrimp back to the jar and refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks before serve.
  Mix well before serve with rice and slices green banana or slices cucumber.
  If you like fancy pa-ok, mixed it with boiled pork belly and chopped mint leaves.