Charred Cabbage With Shrimp Paste Butter

If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a lover of overly salty things. Really savory, salty things. Especially ferment-y, savory, salty things like shrimp paste. It’s one of those extremely flavorful and pungent condiments that lends the kind of depth to a dish that a few extra pinches of salt can never achieve. A little shrimp paste goes a long, long, long way. My mom taught me that. It’s insanely good brushed over leftover roast pork or fried in a wok with cabbage and dried shrimp. Or better yet, fold it into a bit of butter, slather it over chunks of cabbage, and roast off until the charred cabbage and buttery shrimp paste flavors meld into wonderfully salty bites.

Editor’s note: Our go-to shrimp paste is this one from Lee Kum Kee.