Vietnamese Prawn Toasts

Crispy sliced French bread with a delicious prawn topping and sensational sauce. Recipe makes 12.

Ingredients:

1 day-old French baguette
6 teaspoons peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
4 spring onions
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 pound (500 g) green prawns, peeled and vein removed
4 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Fish Sauce and Lime Sauce:
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
6 teaspoons white sugar
6 teaspoons fresh lime juice
8 teaspoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). To make the sauce, mix the garlic, red chili pepper and sugar in a mortar with a pestle, to form a paste. Add the lime juice, fish sauce and 1/4 cup cold water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a small serving bowl.
2. Cut the bread diagonally into twelve slices. Place slices on a baking tray and brush lightly with the oil.
3. Combine the garlic, spring onions and ginger in a food processor and mix until finely chopped. Add the prawns, cornflour, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix until finely chopped but not pureed.
4. Spread the prawn mixture over the bread slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked. Serve warm with the fish sauce and lime sauce, for dipping.

Tip: The seeds of the chili pepper add extra heat to recipes, so either include them or remove them according to the heat tolerance of your taste buds.