Lobster Toast
For this recipe I took a traditional Asian dish, shrimp toast, and used Maine lobster to create a recipe with a Maine twist. The shrimp version (also explained in the recipe) is much easier and quicker to produce since the meat is easily removed from its shell, or can be purchased pre-peeled. Raw lobster meat sticks to the shell, so in this recipe I quickly blanch the lobster just enough to release the meat from the shell.
The Ginger-Sesame Dipping Sauce in the recipe below, is a great all around soy-based sauce for dipping steamed shumai, crisped pot-stickers or crunchy spring rolls. I use a combination of plain rice wine vinegar (look for plain, not seasoned) and Chinkiang vinegar which is a black Chinese vinegar made from glutinous rice (or black sticky rice) and is available online at Amazon or in most Asian markets. It has a subtle malty taste and adds more depth of flavor to the dipping sauce.
Lobster Toast
Course: AppetizersCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes10
minutesIngredients
Two 1 1/4 pound live Maine lobsters (or 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined)
2 teaspoons cornstarch (if using lobster)
2 teaspoons minced ginger
5 scallions, green part only, chopped
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 egg white
4 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
4 slices white sandwich bread
- Ginger-Sesame Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup Chinkiang vinegar (if not available, use rice wine vinegar)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon each black and regular sesame seeds
Directions
- For lobster toast, boil 2 quarts of water in a 4-quart saucepan. Immerse the lobsters head first into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately remove the lobsters from the water and cool. This will only partially cook the lobsters. When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the knuckles, claws and tail (discarding the vein). Pat the lobster meat dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces. Toss the lobster meat in cornstarch.
- In a food processor, mince the lobster or shrimp. Add the ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and the egg white. Process again to combine.
- Lay out the bread slices and cut off the crust. Divide and spread the lobster or shrimp mixture onto the bread slices. Cut each bread slice in quarters from corner to corner, creating 4 small triangles.
- Whisk the eggs together in a bowl.
- Heat a large skillet and add the vegetable oil. Dip the bread triangles into the egg wash and fry in the hot oil, meat side down first, then turn over and cook on the other side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with the Ginger-sesame dipping sauce.
- Ginger-Sesame Dipping Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
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