prawn toasts

Believe it or not, this recipe and these quantities made 8 prawn toasts, which I think is more than enough for 2 - 3 people to share as a starter.

You will need:

4 medium - large prawns (uncooked)
2 tablespoons cornflour
1/2 tablespoon ground white pepper
a pinch of salt
1 egg white
Baguette, sliced into 8 rounds, approximately 1cm thick.
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup oil for frying

What to do:

Peel the prawns. Use a paring knife to run down their backs and remove the vein. Flush with cold water.

Use a very sharp knife and carefully mince the prawns. Put into a mixing bowl. Combine the pepper, egg white, cornflour and a pinch of salt and stir to make a thick paste. Some recipes advise you to fridge it here for a half hour or so, but I didn't, and they turned out brilliantly.

Spoon the mixture onto the toast, and press down gently. Use all the mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan (non stick) over moderate heat.

Cook the toasts prawn side down for 1 - 2 minutes. Don't let them burn! Watch them very closely. As soon as the prawn mixture becomes opaque and the sesame seeds have started to darken, gently flip them over (watch out for the oil splattering). Brown the bread (30 seconds, max) and serve immediately, with some light soya sauce on the side.

O. M. G. These are seriously so, so, so goooood. Calorific. Yes. Carbtastic. Totally. Nutritious? Not really, no. But absolutely crave inducing. Your friends will love them. You will love them. You must make them.