Baked Shrimp Toasts

Name: Baked Shrimp Toasts
Yield: makes about 48 small toasts, to serve 8 to 10
Ingredients: 12 thin slices white bread; 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; Salt for refreshing shrimp, plus 1/2 teaspoon; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 egg, separated; 1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil; 3 tablespoons minced scallion, green and white parts (2 or 3 small scallions); 3 tablespoons butter, melted; 1/2 teaspoon water

December 14, 2011

Traditionally deep-fried, shrimp toasts can be greasy affairs. During frying, the toasts soak up lots of oil and the shrimp topping often slides off the bread. A few years ago, chef Susana Foo, in her eponymous cookbook, offered an excellent solution for making this popular Chinese snack: baking the toasts. Her idea caught my eye, and I was fast to adapt the method for a Vietnamese version. The end product is a crispy, pinkish orange hors d’oeuvre that is delightfully grease free.

Cooks' Note

To freeze the unbaked assembled toasts, arrange them on an ungreased baking sheet (don’t let them touch one another) and freeze until solid. Transfer the toasts to an airtight container, separating the layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw at room temperature on a buttered baking sheet for 1 hour. Brush with the egg wash and then bake as directed.

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