Recipe | Sesame Prawn Toasts

Moreish, prawnish and very celebratory, these tasty triangles will get a feast started on the right foot

Chinese New Year begins on Friday February 12th this year and ends with the Lantern Festival on the 26th, and is a celebration of the arrival of Spring as well as moving into a new calendar year. If you’re marking the start of Chinese New Year this weekend why not make these crispy and very moreish sesame prawn toasts as part of the feast? They’re a bit of effort but well worth it.

Serves 4

200g prawns (if using frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight then pat dry; de-vein and de-shell , if necessary)
1 tsp finely-grated ginger
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 egg white
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp each of salt and pepper
3 pieces of thick sliced white bread, each cut into 4 triangles
100g sesame seeds (on a plate)
Groundnut or sunflower oil for shallow frying
Chopped coriander, soy or sweet chilli sauce for serving

1 Blitz the prawns, ginger, garlic, egg white, spring onions, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor until you have a thick paste.
2 Spread the blitzed prawn paste on one side of each triangle of bread.
3 Gently press the prawn paste side of each triangle into the sesame seeds on a plate. Set aside for frying.
4 Heat 2-3cm of oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat. Make sure it's hot, but not so hot it's smoking. Drop small piece of bread into the oil – if it bubbles straight away, the oil is ready.
5 Place two of the triangles (prawn and sesame seed side facing down) in the oil and cook for 1-2 mins, or until the sesame seeds are golden. Fry one or two slices at a time or the oil temperature will drop and you may end up with soggy prawn toasts!
6 Turn the toast over and cook for a further 1 min. Remove and place on kitchen roll to soak up any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining triangles.
7 Serve whilst hot with a sprinkling of chopped coriander and soy sauce or a sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Cook’s note: If you don't eat them all, let them cool, then freeze in an airtight container. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight and oven bake at 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6 for 7-8 mins, or until piping hot throughout.

This recipe is part of our Feast of Good Fortune menu to mark the start of the Year of the Ox in our February issue. You can find the rest of the recipes, including potstickers and steamed fish, from page 34.

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More from our February issue…

More feasts from our Gathering pages…

Seaside recipe | prawn skewers

Because nothing says ‘beach lunch’ like crustaceons and crusty bread

Whether you’re heading to the coast this weekend or gathering friends in the garden, these hot, citrusy, umami prawns will be a welcome addition to the table, the picnic rug or the sand.

Makes 8

2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of ½ lime
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
½ red chilli, finely chopped
350g unpeeled, precooked prawns, fresh or frozen (if frozen, fully defrosted)
2 limes, quartered

1 Add the crushed garlic, lime juice, olive oil, honey and red chilli to a large bowl, whisk together. Add the prawns, toss to coat and leave to marinate for 15 mins.
2 Thread the prawns onto the skewers and add a lime quarter to each. Keep remaining marinade to brush on to the skewers during cooking.
3 On a griddle pan over a medium heat or on a barbecue, cook each side for 1–2 mins, brushing with any extra marinade. Serve immediately.

These skewers are just part of our Seafood and Sandcastles menu featured in our August issue, where you’ll find all the recipes. If you’d like to also try the barbecue nachos, crab burgers, delicious salads and messy Eton mess, you can pick up a copy in the shops today. We guarantee you’ll be the envy of the whole stretch of sand (even if your sandcastles aren’t up to much).

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Mpre recipes for barbecue days…

More from our August issue…

Recipe: Chilled prawns with garlic mayonnaise

The finest of finger foods, especially dipped in aioli, this recipe for chilled prawns with garlic mayonnaise makes the perfect summer lunch.

Recipe: Chilled prawns with garlic mayonnaise

Makes 20

20 large whole prawns

1 fresh egg yolk at room temperature

1 tsp Dijon mustard

100ml vegetable oil

1 tsp vinegar

1 large garlic clove, peeled and mashed

1 Rinse prawns and place half of them into a steamer over a pan of boiling water. Steam, covered, for 3–4 mins or until prawns turn pink and opaque and curl.

2 Prepare a large bowl filled with icy water. Remove prawns from heat and pour them into the icy water to stop cooking. Steam the second batch of prawns in the same way.

3 To make the garlic mayo: in a bowl mix together egg yolk and mustard. Measure oil into a jug. With an electric hand mixer, whisk egg yolk and, very slowly, pour a trickle of oil into the egg as you whisk. Whisk until all the oil is used and the mayonnaise firm.

4 Mix in vinegar and season with salt. Add garlic and stir. Serve with the iced prawns and a bowl for discarded prawn shells and heads.

For more summery seafood recipes, turn to page 24 of August's The Simple Things.

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