I love deep-fried foods just as much as everyone else but I resist making most dishes at home mainly for health reasons. And so, I am always altering recipes that require deep frying for healthier cooking options. I’ve found that pan-cooking works in most cases and this dish is a great recipe redo. The traditional Vietnamese fritters recipe does not have French bread but my Mom made it this way and I really loved it. To minimize oil absorption when pan-cooking, she would dry out the bread by toasting it lightly in the oven. This made it even crispier, so give this a try if you have a bit more time and desire a toast with extra crunch. Enjoy!
Watch the video below for instructions.
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
2/3 cup water
3 green onion tops
1/2 loaf French bread
1 small yam (approx. 4 oz)
24 – size 31/40 shrimp, peeled and deveined
vegetable oil for pan cooking
Directions
Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, baking powder, turmeric powder and water. Whisk until batter is smooth. Let batter rest for at least 30 minutes.
Thinly dice green onion tops. Cut 12 slices of French bread, approximately 1/2-inch thick. Peel yam and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices. Cut into thin strips.
Add green onions, yam strips and shrimp to batter and mix well making sure everything is coated with batter.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Use a brush to evenly distribute the oil in the pan. Take a slice of French bread and place 2 shrimp on top of the bread. Place a generous amount of yam sticks on top of the shrimp. Place the toast face-side down in the skillet. (Tip: It may be easiser to prep all pieces of toast first and then cook them all at once.) Turn the heat down to medium low and cook on the first side for approximtely 5 minutes. Brush the side facing up with a bit of vegetable oil. Flip the toast over and cook in the other side for 2-3 minutes.
Serve toast with green leaf lettuce, fresh herbs and Sweet and Sour Sauce.
Yields: 12 pieces
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