Crispy Prawn Crumpets

by Zena Kamgaing, featured in Dinner Time

Published by Bloomsbury

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Introduction

One of my friends, chef Angelica Udenweze, once made the best prawn toast I’d ever had. She swapped the sesame seeds for cornflakes, making it irresistibly crispy — it was absolute perfection. This recipe takes inspiration from hers, but instead of white bread, I’m using crumpets, which, in my opinion, have one of the best bread textures of all time. They crisp up beautifully on the outside, while their soft, spongy interior soaks up all the prawn juices, making every bite extra juicy and flavourful.

As featured in

Dinner Time

Image of Zena Kamgaing's Crispy Prawn Crumpets — Photo by Yuki Sugiura

Ingredients

Makes: 6

320 grams deveined, peeled raw king prawns
10 grams fresh ginger (peeled and finely grated or minced)
1 egg white
½ tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
1 tablespoon cornflour
½ teaspoon sugar
2 spring onions (very thinly sliced)
6 crumpets
50 grams cornflakes (crushed)
vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
sweet chilli sauce or siriacha mayo, to serve

Method

Crispy Prawn Crumpets is a guest recipe by Zena Kamgaing so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Drain any excess moisture from the prawns. Coarsely chop half of them and transfer these to a medium mixing bowl.
In a food processor, blend the remaining prawns with the ginger, egg white, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine (if using), cornflour and sugar until smooth. Add this mixture and the spring onions to the bowl with the coarsely chopped prawns and mix to combine.
Spread the prawn mixture evenly over the six crumpets, making sure each one is fully covered in an even layer.
Place the crushed cornflakes in a bowl. Gently press each crumpet into the cornflakes, prawn-side down, letting any excess fall away. Warm your oven to 150°C/130°C fan.
Pour 3–4cm of oil into a large, deep-sided sauté pan or frying pan and heat it to 180°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil — the oil will bubble rapidly around the handle when it’s ready for frying. Carefully lower 2 or 3 crumpets into the oil (depending on the size of your pan — don’t overcrowd it), prawn-side down, and fry for 2 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown. Flip and fry for a further 2 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown too.
Transfer the cooked crumpets to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, then keep them warm in the oven while frying the rest. Serve hot with sweet chilli sauce or sriracha mayo for dipping.