SALMON AND SUN DRIED TOMATO SESAME TOASTS

Appetizers|Asian|Breads and Pastries|Seafood

Ingredients

1, 8.5 ounce jar Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Julienne Cut Tomatoes with Italian Herbs in Oil

1 pound salmon filet, skinned and cut into 2” chunks

1 large egg white

2 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon minced ginger root, peeled

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

4 scallions, chopped (plus more for garnish)

2 teaspoons corn starch

¼ cup water chestnuts

8 slices crusty Artisan type bread, cut ½” thick

2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds mixed

¼ cup peanut oil

Instructions

Drain the jar of sun dried tomatoes into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Set the oil aside for later and place the sun dried tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor. Add the salmon, egg white, garlic, cilantro, ginger, soy, sesame oil, white pepper, scallions, corn starch, and water chestnuts to the food processor bowl. Pulse 5-6 times until everything is well combined but not a total paste. You still want some texture in the mixture and you should still see pops of red and green from the tomatoes and scallions throughout the mixture.

Spread the mixture evenly over each slice of bread and place them on a small baking sheet side by side. The spread should be about ¼ – ½” thick on top of each slice, so depending on the size of your bread, you might not use all of the slices. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the tops of each slice and lightly press them to adhere to the salmon mixture. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30-40 minutes until firm.

Remove the toasts from the freezer and cut them into 4 equal pieces. If your bread is square, you will have 4 equal triangles or if it is round or oval you will have 4 ‘triangl-ish’ shaped toasts.

Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet (this will keep the finished toasts from getting soggy after cooking).

Add the reserved sun dried tomato oil to a non-stick 12” skillet along with the peanut oil. Heat the oil(s) over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the toasts, salmon-side-down. You will need to work in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your toasts. Do not crowd them in the pan so they can get crispy on all sides. Cook for 1-2 minutes on the first side until golden brown on top. Flip and cook for 1 minute on the second side. Remove to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining toasts.

Place the toasts on a platter and serve hot, garnished with more chopped scallions. These delicious bites will be the hit of any party or holiday celebration!! You can also make them and freeze in advance (before cooking) and just pull them out and cook them up in minutes when company arrives!