“I love a prawn toast that’s made with buttery-sweet brioche slices, light on the sesame seeds and generously filled,” says Stephanie Feher. “I use peeled and deveined frozen prawns (shrimp) to save time, but fresh prawns work just as well. For this recipe, sesame seeds are optional – I find their roasted flavour can sometimes overshadow the prawn’s natural flavour profile. That said, if you’re a sesame seed lover, go all in, babes. The chilli crisp mayo couldn’t be simpler. I love using Laoganma brand (find at most supermarkets or Asian supermarkets), but any chilli oil or spicy condiment works beautifully here too.”
Make ahead:
- Chilli crisp mayo can be made and refrigerated up to a week ahead.
- Prawn filling can be made and refrigerated overnight.
On the day:
- Assemble and fry toasts just before serving (makes 4)
Make the chilli crisp mayo:
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120g) Kewpie mayo
- 1–3 tablespoons crispy chilli oil (including sediment), adjust to taste
Method
- In a small bowl, mix the mayo and chilli oil, adjusting the amount to suit your heat preference.
- Set aside, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.
Make the prawn filling:
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen)
- ½ teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 egg white
- ¼ teaspoon MSG (optional)
Method
- In a food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth and paste-like.
- Set aside, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to a day ahead. If making ahead, bring the prawn filling back to room temperature before proceeding.
Assemble the toasts:
Ingredients
- 4 slices brioche or white bread, about 1 cm (½ in) thick, crusts removed
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)
Method
- Generously spread the prawn filling onto two slices of bread.
- Top with the remaining slices to form sandwiches.
- Use a spatula or butter knife to clean the edges, ensuring no filling spills out.
- Place a generous amount of sesame seeds on a plate, if using.
- Press sandwich edges gently into seeds, using remaining filling as glue, if needed.
Fry and serve toasts:
Ingredients
- Neutral oil, for shallow-frying
Method
- Add enough neutral oil to a large frying pan to reach about 2cm (¾ in) deep.
- Heat the oil to 180°C (350ºF) over medium heat, or until bubbles form rapidly around the tip of a wooden chopstick or handle of a wooden spoon when dipped into the oil.
- Fry the sandwiches for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy.
- For sesame-coated sandwiches, fry the edges as well.
- Remove and drain on paper towel.
- Once they’re cool enough to handle, cut the prawn toasts in half diagonally into triangles.
- Serve with the chilli crisp mayo on the side.
Lucky Dragon Supper Club by Stephanie Feher (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99) is out now and yours to purchase from the likes of such Victorian booksellers as Readings, Books for Cooks and Hill of Content.