Air-fried sesame prawn toast
Springy hand-beaten prawn paste spread thickly on toast, sprinkled with sesame and air-fried until golden and crisp — all the crunch with far less oil.
- 30 min
- Serves 2
- Air-fry
- Medium
Why it suits you: Yang-deficient types feel the cold, and the Start of Winter calls for warming the kidney yang. Prawns are warm and traditionally used to support kidney yang; air-frying instead of deep-frying keeps the toast golden and crisp without the grease — an ideal tea-time snack.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 10 min- 1Rinse and pat the prawns dry, flatten them with the back of a cleaver and chop to a paste. Stir in the salt, pepper, cornflour and sesame oil in one direction.
- 2Scoop up the paste and slap it back into the bowl a dozen or so times until it turns sticky and springy.
- 3Cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles, spread with an even layer of prawn paste and press the sesame seeds on top.
- 4Brush both sides lightly with oil and air-fry at 180°C for 8–10 minutes until golden and the prawn is cooked through. Eat hot.
Cautions
- Avoid if allergic to prawns or shellfish; limit during gout flare-ups.
Chef's tips
- Dry the prawns thoroughly and beat the paste until sticky so it stays springy and clings to the bread.
The TCM view
Prawns are sweet and warm, tonifying the kidneys and supporting yang; white sesame is sweet and neutral, nourishing the liver and kidneys; a little white pepper is pungent and hot, warming the middle and dispelling cold. Air-frying keeps it warming without the heat and phlegm of deep-fried food.
