Fried Shrimp Toasts

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Chef Joshua Walker shallow-fries his shrimp toasts instead of deep-frying them, so they're not as greasy as the traditional Vietnamese version. He likes to spread the shrimp mousse unevenly over the toasts before cooking them. "If the mousse is higher on one side, it gets crisper and more browned than the other side, which is more lightly cooked," he says. "That's the perfect contrast." Slideshow:  Vietnamese Recipes 

Fried Shrimp Toasts
Photo: © Ryan Liebe
Total Time:
40 mins
Yield:
24 toasts
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Nuoc Cham

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

  • 1 small Thai chile, stemmed and thinly sliced

  • 1/2 small garlic clove, minced

Shrimp Toasts

  • 1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon tapioca flour

  • 3 small Thai chiles, stemmed and chopped

  • 2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sliced scallions, plus more for garnish

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 24 baguette slices, cut 1/3 inch thick

  • 6 tablespoons canola oil

  • Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Make the Nuoc Cham

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with 1/2 cup of warm water until dissolved. Whisk in all of the remaining ingredients.

Make the Shrimp Toasts

  1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the baguette slices, canola oil and garnishes and puree until nearly smooth. Spread the mousse on the baguette slices.

  2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the toasts, mousse side down, and cook over moderate heat until golden, 2 minutes. Flip the toasts and cook until browned on the bottom, 1 minute. Transfer the toasts to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining oil and shrimp toasts. Transfer the toasts to a platter, garnish with cilantro and scallions and serve with the nuoc cham.

Make Ahead

The nuoc cham and shrimp mousse can be refrigerated separately overnight. Stir the shrimp mousse before using.

Suggested Pairing

Zesty, light Vinho Verde.

Originally appeared: August 2014

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