Prawn on Toast

A popular Hong Kong afternoon tea sandwich, local chefs invented this dish to replace normal sandwiches to serve at high tea. Using mainly fresh prawn to make, this dish grew far more popular with the general public than its colonial history intended.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 100g fresh or frozen uncooked prawns, keep 2 aside for decoration, peel the prawns, use a small sharp knife to score the back of the prawn to remove the vein. Wash and dry the prawns on kitchen paper towel
• Remove shell from the remaining 2 prawns, but keep the tails, cut in half, keep the tail part for decoration, use the top part with the rest of the prawns
• 1/2 medium grated onion
• 2 slices ginger, grated
• 2 slices of fresh bread, cut away all edges
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Seasoning

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cornflour
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Condiments

• 2 lettuce leaves

Useful Tips

• You can also minced the prawns in a food processor. if preferred, you can cut the bread in any shape.

Method

• Remove the shells and de-vein the raw prawns. If frozen prawns are used, defrost thoroughly.
• Mince the raw prawns with the back of a cleaver or meat knife. Add the grated onion, ginger, cornstarch and chicken stock and mix into a paste texture.
• Spread the paste generously on top of both slices of bread.
• Beat the egg in a small bowl, then brush the prawn paste side thinly with egg and evenly coat with sesame seeds to cover the top.
• Use a 4cm round pastry cutter to cut each slice of bread into 3 rounds to give 6 small pieces in total.
• Decorate 2 rounds with the half prawn with the tail side up, press the prwan in the centre as illustrated.
• In an electric deep-fryer, heat the oil to 150°C using the recommended minimum volume, place the triangles in the fryer and turn the heat down to medium to let them fry slowly for 4 minutes or until golden brown in colour. Turn the toast regularly during frying to prevent burning on one side.
• Drain excess oil on a kitchen paper towel. Serve on the lettuce leaves.