Thai Pork And Shrimp Toasts Recipe - Cooking Index
Thai Pork And Shrimp Toasts Recipe - Cooking Index
I can't understand why the Thais are the only ones who cook with cilantro roots. The roots have a deep, rich flavor, less spicy than the feathery leaves. My produce man is so fastidious he trims off the roots, so I save a spot in my garden to grow my own supply. You can omit the roots from this recipe; the toast will still taste great, just not quite as authentically Thai.
Courses: Starters and appetizers| 12 | Firm day-old white bread | |
| Pork and Shrimp Paste | ||
| 1/4 lb | 113g / 4oz | Lean ground pork |
| 1/4 lb | 113g / 4oz | Medium raw shrimp - shelled, deveined |
| 1 tablespoon | 15ml | Chopped green onion, including top |
| 1 | Serrano or jalapeño chile - minced | |
| 2 | Egg whites | |
| 2 teaspoons | 10ml | Chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley) roots |
| And 1" of the stems | ||
| 1 teaspoon | 5ml | Chopped cilantro leaves |
| 1 teaspoon | 5ml | Minced garlic |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5ml | Salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon | 0.6ml | Freshly-ground black pepper |
| Cooking | ||
| Vegetable oil - for deep-frying | ||
| Cilantro leaves - for garnish |
Trim the crusts from the bread and cut each slice in half diagonally.
In a food processor, combine the paste ingredients and process to make a coarse paste. Spread the paste about 1/4-inch thick on one side of each bread triangle. If you wish, you may place the triangles in a single layer in a baking pan and cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 hours.
Set a wok in a ring stand and add oil to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 360 degrees. Add the triangles paste-side down, a few at a time; cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Turn them and cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds. The edges will be curled like furled ribbon. Lift the toasts out and drain them on paper towels. Keep them warm in a 200 degree oven while cooking the rest. Arrange the toasts on a flat basket and garnish them with cilantro leaves. Serve hot.
This recipe yields 34 toasts.
Tips: The toasts are large -- hearty enough for a snack. For a party appetizer, cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles or cut it into circles with a 2-inch cookie cutter. You can also try thinly sliced French bread. Leftover cilantro roots can be frozen for later use
Source:
Everybody's Wokking by Martin Yan, (Harlow & Ratner, 1991)
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