Sesame prawn eggplant toasts
It’s an entertainer’s favourite – with a twist.
Think about everything you like about prawn toasts: the crunchy nuttiness of sesame seeds, the juicy sweetness of the pork and prawn filling, the background heat and spice of ginger and white pepper. Now subtract the stodgy bits of bread and replace them with grilled eggplant, silky through the middle yet firm enough to hold the topping like the original. Great for gluten-free friends, or for a lighter, more veg-forward version for all eaters.
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Sesame prawn eggplant toasts
Salt the eggplant slices for 30 minutes, then rinse and dry on paper towel. Preheat oven to 150C (130C fan). Pop prawn meat and pork mince into a food processor or blender with the whites of the spring onions, coriander roots and stems, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper and egg and blitz until smooth. Add a heaped tablespoon of mixture evenly onto each slice of prepared eggplant and smooth down to the edges. Sprinkle sesame seeds onto a saucer and press eggplant, mixture side down, into the seeds to generously coat. Heat 1cm oil in a shallow pan and place eggplant slices, sesame side down and cook for 3-5 minutes or until sesame seeds start to brown. Flip over and cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the eggplant is fully cooked through and the seeds are golden. Drain on paper towel and place in the warmed oven until ready to serve. When done and ready to serve, sprinkle over the finely sliced spring onion greens, coriander leaves and freshly diced chilli. Serve as canapes, or on the table as part of a bigger spread, alongside the cucumber salad.
Makes 12 pieces
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Cucumber ribbon salad with sesame and ginger dressing
Using a mandoline or a speed peeler, slice or peel long strips of cucumber (alternatively, cut cucumber into rounds). Place cucumber ribbons in a colander over a bowl to let the excess juice drain out. Combine dressing ingredients. Toss drained cucumber together with the dressing, then add spring onions, pickled ginger, coriander and chilli. Taste and correct for seasoning, then arrange on a platter and scatter sesame seeds to serve.
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Top tips
- I like grapeseed or rice-bran oil for frying because of its high smoke point and neutral flavour. Expect to use about 180ml per medium pan for shallow-frying. To reuse, let the oil cool, then strain back into glass and deploy for similar seafood dishes (I label my oils “prawn”, “‘felafel” etc so I don’t get prawn-flavoured falafel).
- The eggplant has to be completely cooked through and soft. Err on the side of frying for longer. Salting helps to tenderise the flesh.
- Frozen Aussie prawns are always useful to have at hand. The smaller cutlets are usually sweetest.
- The “prawn meat” you’ll find at most fishmongers is more cost-effective for blitzing or mashing through a curry or stir-fry in which the tails aren’t part of the theatre. Save the cutlets for barbecuing or crumbing.