WE'RE HERE FOR ONE LAST PARTY
And we're going out with a bang.
This week. we're cooking up some scrumptious prawn toasts, as recommended by our resident gourmet aficionado Ana. Set aside some time and serve them to the ones you love most.
This is a newsletter to nourish the soul and the body. Grab a tea and cosy up. There is plenty more where this came from, so watch this space - a sporadic little DOWNTIME check-in could arrive at any moment. x
IN THE KITCHEN
Ana has introduced us to her favourite Prawn Toast recipe, created by Dan Hong of Mr Wong fame.
Bring yum cha to your home and dish these up as a part of a feast. This recipe serves 6 as a side. Get ready to impress and don't let the various elements daunt you! This is a newsletter to nourish the soul and the body.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large sourdough loaf
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
Prawn Mousse
- 600g uncooked prawn meat
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp fine salt 2 tbsp thinly sliced coriander stems
Yuzu Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise
- Yuzu juice to taste
Nuoc Cham
- 70g sugar
- 70ml white vinegar
- 70ml fish sauce
- 3 1/2 tsp lime juice
Herb Salad
- 1 small handful of coriander leaves
- 1 small handful of round mint leaves
- 1 small handful of Vietnamese mint leaves
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
METHOD
For prawn mousse, put ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste. Resist the urge to make it too smooth because you want texture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up.
For yuzu mayo, whisk ingredients together adding yuzu juice to taste. Set aside.
For the nuoc cham, whisk together ingredients and 70ml water until the sugar has dissolved. This sauce can be kept in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
To prepare the prawn toast, cut the ends off the bread and slice it into 8mm slices. Spread the prawn mousse in a 1cm layer on the slices with a butter knife. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Fill a heavy-based saucepan to a third full with oil and heat to 180C or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 15 seconds. Fry each piece of toast separately until golden and prawn mousse is cooked (3-5 minutes). Check if the mousse is fully cooked. If not, deep-fry the toast for another minute or two. Drain on paper towels, then cut each toast into 4-5 slices.
For herb salad, mix the herbs and spring onions in a bowl, then dress with 2½ tbsp nuoc cham (reserve remainder for another use).
To serve, top each piece of toast with yuzu mayonnaise and garnish with fresh herb salad.
Opening image via @momoochoo
