It is easy to overindulge in these chewy-soft dumplings because they slip right down your throat. Just as you are savoring the rich scallion oil, well-seasoned filling, and tangy-sweet-spicy dipping sauce, the dumpling is gone, and you must eat another. The skin of this central Vietnamese specialty is traditionally made of tapioca starch; I add a little wheat starch for firmness, lest the dough become unpleasantly rubbery. Some Viet cooks laboriously wrap each bánh bot loc in a banana leaf and steam them. I don’t have such patience and boil mine for the “naked” (tran) version. When peeling the shrimp, save the shells for a stock to use in the sauce.
To make shrimp shell stock, put the reserved shrimp shells in a small saucepan and add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Strain through a paper towel–lined mesh strainer and discard the shells. Cool before using in the sauce. Makes about 1/2 cup.
