BAKED VIETNAMESE Shrimp Toast

{bánh mì chiên tôm}

Yield: 12 - 24 appetizer pieces

Chef Mimi Lan is a personal and popup dinner chef who curates thoughtful, global culinary experiences with storytelling to connect with people from different cultures. Her specialty is VIGLO (Vietnamese with global influences) cuisine- innovation in cooking while honoring traditional recipes of the past. She considers herself a global chef, thanks to extensive travels, cooking classes, and apprentices at Michelin starred restaurants.

Chef Mimi’s family immigrated to the US after the fall of Saigon. Her aunt’s makeshift pho shop taught her the power of food. Watching strangers congregate in her aunt’s tiny one-bedroom apartment, connecting with each other over delicious bowls of pho, showed her that food is nourishment not just for the body, but also the soul and shaped her journey as a Global chef. She is the creator of “Food is Religion Club” on Clubhouse.

Ingredients

1 organic French baguette (from Trader Joe’s) or any artisan baguette

Grated ParmigianoReggiano cheese

1 lb deveined, deshelled shrimp (tails off)

1 stalk chopped scallions or a handful of minced parsley

1 big shallot (minced)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp sriracha mayonnaise (1/2 tsp sriracha + 2 tbsp mayo) or plain mayo

1/2 tsp to 1 tsp paprika powder (or annatto seeds powder)

1 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp of white pepper

2 tsp cornstarch

1 egg white

Optional: 1/2 tsp of sesame oil for mix and 1-2 tbsp sesame oil for brushing on top before serving bread

Directions

When using frozen shrimp, thaw at room temp for a couple hours or overnight in fridge. Rinse thawed shrimp in a colander and drain while you do the next steps. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice baguette into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and place them on a baking tray. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes (or until slightly golden) on the middle rack. Bake one tray at a time. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Filling

Mince shallot & garlic, and fresh herbs and set aside separately. Sauté minced shallot until fragrant, add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat before adding minced herbs to keep their bright green color. Cool and set aside. Place shrimp in a mixing bowl. Add seasonings, egg white, then the sautéed ingredients last. Use a spatula to mix everything together. Put the shrimp concoction into a food processor to 3/4 full and pulse a few times. Be careful NOT to turn it into a paste. Leave chunks for texture. Remove shrimp concoction and continue until all the shrimp is pulsed. If you don’t have an electric food processor, use a knife to mince the shrimp, leaving some chunks to the side, and mince the rest finely before mixing both together. Season shrimp paste to your taste before baking (adding sesame oil if desired.) Cook 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture over low heat to taste it. Make it slightly saltier because the bread makes it taste less salty. Cook mixture same day - does not preserve well.

Assembly

Increase oven to 400° F. Spread a generous amount of shrimp paste on each baguette slice. Bake in middle rack for 7 minutes, then broil for a couple minutes, adding one minute at a time until you get some golden edges. When done, brush sesame oil (or olive oil) on the surface of each shrimp toast, sprinkle with micro greens and serve immediately. Live deliciously! Note: Baked shrimp toasts freeze well. If you want to freeze, skip the broil. Put baked shrimp toasts in a Ziploc bag in a single layer. Push as much air out of the bag as you can, and seal it (to keep them fresh longer and prevent ice crystals from forming). When ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350° F, then bake for 5 minutes, and broil for 2-3 minutes until golden.

Topping ideas: Sage leaves sautéed in butter until crispy, thinly sliced heirloom carrots, baby arugula, baby spinach, toasted sesame seeds.

This recipe is featured in the Philly edition of Cooks Who Care Community Cookbook: Entertaining for Mental Health.

The book is available digitally at www.cookswhocare.org; print edition coming soon. Cooks Who Care, founded by Maria and Scott Campbellis, is a Media, PA based not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of food and beverage industry workers. 100% of proceeds from book sales will benefit a community fund to provide mini grants for food service workers in the Greater Philadelphia Region who are in need of mental health support.