Shrimp Toast

 Lately my Saturday morning ritual usually looks like this, I get up and run down to get a coffee and get the weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal, and I dive into the "Off Duty" section. I can't manage to read it fast enough. This past weekends' edition had an article on shrimp toast, how cool it's becoming, cropping up in the chicest restaurants. And did it have me craving shrimp toast in the early hours of the morning! lol I'm not sure if everyone is a fan but the first time I ordered it, I did it out of pure curiosity. Crispy bread, creamy shrimp and a hint of onion, it was interesting, I liked it. The second time, I don't even know how it was physically possible, but I bit into the crispiness of the shrimp toast and had a mouthful of oil. (growl and grumble) So the article inspired me to make it at home, here's my spin at it. I think it came out really good and I'm so excited to share this recipe!

• 1/2 pound of shrimp, quickly poached, cooled off and finely minced
• a 4 inch piece of a celery stalk, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon finely minced red onion
• 2 pale sections of scallions, finely minced
• 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• a dash or 2 of Worcestershire sauce
• Sriracha sauce *optional
• a pinch of 2 of Vegeta, or any good all-purpose seasoning
• 10 slices of potato bread
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• panko bread crumbs
• canola oil

Combine the shrimp, celery, scallions, red onion, cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Take 2 slices of potato bread at a time and cut the crusts off with a sharp knife. Set the crusts aside for bread crumbs, or the birds. Daisy had some treats that day. ;) Spread a heaping tablespoon on one side of the slice of bread, top with the second slice and repeat with the rest of the bread and shrimp spread. Take a sharp knife and cut diagonally across the "sandwiches." creating triangles. If any filling falls out, stuff it back in. Set up a breading station for yourself. A dish for the eggs, one for the panko bread crumbs, one for the toasts that are ready for the oil, and one lined with paper towels. Carefully dip your shrimp triangles in the beaten egg and then into the panko bread crumbs, packing on the breadcrumbs so it sticks. They are so delicate, especially when dipped in the egg, so you have to work quickly. Fill a large non-stick pan with about a 1/4 inch of oil on the bottom. Heat your oil on medium heat, and throw in a bread crumb or 2 until it sizzles, once it does, you are ready to put in your shrimp triangles. Fry them until light brown and then flip them over, grab some tongs and stand them up on the sides, so they fry up also. Just be careful, this is why I had only 2 in the pan at most. Once browned on all sides, drain on paper towels. I served this with an avocado topped with peanut sauce and it was really good when eaten together! This makes 10 shrimp toasts.

Here is the recipe for the peanut sauce if anyone is a peanut sauce fan...

• 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of low sodium room temperature chicken broth
• 2 soy sauce packets or 2 teaspoons
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon honey
• a dash or 2 of Worcestershire sauce
• a sprinkle of ground ginger
• a sprinkle of 5-spice powder
• Sriracha sauce, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves finely chopped and some leaves saved for garnish
• an avocado or 2, sliced

Combine all of the ingredients, taste and add seasoning as needed, spoon over the avocado slices and top with cilantro leaves. Enjoy!