“I think the story behind this prawn baguette recipe is that my dad’s a true culinary creative. He takes an idea or recipe and transforms it into a different experience. The idea may have started with the Southeast Asian toast and modified to incorporate different flavors from other parts of the world.” – Diane Le, part-owner of Phnom Penh Noodle House.
Sam Ung, the founding chef of Phnom Penh Noodle House, has always evolved Cambodian flavors to create new dishes. It began back in Cambodia in the 1970’s, when the Khmer Rouge severely limited the supply of food. Forced to adapt, Sam recreated traditional dishes with completely new ingredients. These dishes became a rare comfort to the Cambodians who were trying to survive through the brutal regime.
When Sam fled from Cambodia to Seattle, he carried that creativity through the kitchens he worked at before opening his own restaurant. One time on vacation he tried a seafood dish with a sauce that he imagined would go really well with chicken. When he got back home, he recreated the sauce from memory and tweaked it to compliment the flavor and texture of crispy fried chicken wings. Fast forward to today, and the Phnom Penh Chicken Wings is the restaurant’s most popular dish.
This prawn baguette recipe is another Sam Ung special. It evolved from shrimp toasts that are served on baguettes, a relic of the French colonization of Cambodia. From there, Sam Ung made the dish his own, likely drawing on French ingredients and techniques that he picked up while cooking at the Rainier Club before opening his restaurant.
Try this baguette with a simple salad as a quick lunch, or cut the baguette into smaller lengths to serve as an appetizer.
Thank you to Diane Le, owner of Phnom Penh Noodle House, who shared this recipe. Learn more from Diane about Cambodian cuisine in A Taste of Cambodia.
PrintCambodian toast with a twist: Sam Ung’s Prawn Baguette
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tbsp stone ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 sprigs basil, chopped fine
- 1 baguette
Instructions
- Slice the baguette lengthwise, then into your desired lengths (see note)
- Toss shrimp lightly in flour and set aside. In a sauté pan, heat butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat.
- Sear shrimp until light pink, just a minute or two per side, and remove from the pan.
- Add the last tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the the shallot and garlic until lightly browned.
- Deglaze the pan by adding wine and lifting any brown bits of the shallot and garlic that are stuck to the pan.
- Add mustard, salt, cream, and lower the heat to medium. Simmer until the sauce is thickened, and will coat the shrimp nicely without running off (3-5 minutes).
- Return the shrimp to the pan to re-warm. Toast the baguette slices in the toaster or a broiler for a few minutes.
- Place the shrimp onto the toasted baguettes, sprinkle with the chopped basil, and serve.
Notes
You can serve this as a lunch or dinner on 6-inch baguette slices, where it goes nicely with a simple side salad. If serving as an appetizer, cut the baguette into 3-inch lengths.
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