Sesame Shrimp Tartines
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Toasted sandwich bread coated in a mix of black and white sesame seeds, air-fried till golden crisp. Topped with a chunky salad of fresh Nordic shrimp, diced Lebanese cucumbers, fresh lime zest and juice, ginger, scallion, sriracha, and creamy mayo. Ripe but firm avocado slices layered underneath for creaminess. Simple yet bold. A balance of crunchy, tangy, spicy, and creamy textures, all built fast in an air fryer. A bit of Japanese mayo for tang, but standard mayo works too. Handy for quick snacks or elegant starters without frying oil mess. Bright lime and fresh ginger lift the shrimp salad. The bread’s toasty sesame crust – my favorite part, adds nuttiness and crunch.
Prep:
30 min
Cook:
15 min
Total:
45 min
Servings:
4 servings
#seafood snack
#air fryer recipe
#quick appetizers
#Sesame seeds
#Nordic shrimp
#avocado toast
Crunch first. The sesame seeds crack under teeth, a nutty burst before yielding to creamy avocado. A texture bridge to the zingy shrimp salad sharp with lime and ginger. Tried tossing shrimp in full mayo? Too thick, lost the freshness. Kept mayo confined to bread — good call. Air frying the bread—not just toast but sesame coated—is a game changer; no oily mess, clean crisp edges. Heard that sizzle and smell of toasted sesame—so addictive. Ginger and sriracha punch up the sweet shrimp, cucumber dice add crunch and cooling contrast. Avocado smooths it all, but not too soft or it collapses. Each component counts, no fluff. Perfect snack for when you want quick elegance, no frying pan excuse. I mix and match herbs sometimes but lime stays essential. Keep sharp eyes on bread in air fryer or risk burnt edges, especially with sesame. Timing’s intuition.
Ingredients
- 75 g (scant 1/2 cup) black and white sesame seeds, toasted gently in pan
- 4 sandwich slices, crusts intact
- 80 ml (about 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp) Japanese mayonnaise or regular mayo; extra for serving
- 225 g (1/2 lb) fresh Nordic shrimp, peeled, tails off; thawed if frozen and patted dry
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, diced small
- 1 lime, zested finely and juiced
- 1 small scallion, minced fine
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) light vegetable oil
- 20 ml (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) chopped pickled ginger (substitute with fresh minced ginger if unavailable)
- 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) sriracha, adjust heat as desired
- 2 ripe yet firm avocados, sliced lengthwise
About the ingredients
Alter sesame seed quantity just slightly; less tends to weaken the crunch, more risks clumping. Sesame seeds must be dry and toasted separately beforehand, not raw; raw ones taste grassy, no good. Japanese mayo adds umami complexity—a little sweetness and rice vinegar tang that balances the heat of sriracha—but you can use regular mayo if needed. Pickled ginger is mild, floral, and keeps the salad lively but fresh chopped ginger with lime juice works fine in pinch and even brighter. Shrimp must be well dried; any moisture adds sog and steam during cooking. Lebanese cucumbers have thin skins and few seeds — use English cucumber as best substitute or peel and deseed regular cucumber. Avocado needs to be firm yet ripe — too mushy and it’s a mess; too hard and no creaminess. Oil coats shrimp for sheen and mingling flavors but don’t drown them.
Method
- Toast sesame seeds first in a dry pan uncovered, medium-low heat, constantly stirring to avoid burning. Once fragrant, remove from heat and cool.
- Spread a thin, even layer of mayonnaise on each bread slice. Don’t soak it; just enough to hold seeds.
- Press mayo-coated bread slices gently into the sesame seed mixture, mayo side down, coating completely. Flip slices back, sesame side up, on clean sheet.
- Preheat air fryer at 185 °C (365 °F) for 3-4 minutes beforehand.
- Arrange sesame-coated bread in a single layer in the fryer basket. Avoid overlap or crowding — air needs to circulate.
- Cook 9-13 minutes, watching bread surface–should turn golden brown, sesame seeds toasty. Listen for crackling edge sounds, a good indicator.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, scallion, lime juice and zest, oil, sriracha, and chopped ginger. Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. No mayo yet; keep this a firm, fresh salad.
- Taste and adjust acidity or heat. Adding too much mayo here makes it too mushy. I prefer layering mayo separately.
- When bread is done, remove quickly; sesame crust crisp but not burnt.
- Layer avocado slices generously atop warm toasts.
- Spoon shrimp salad over avocados, drizzle extra mayo if wanted.
- Serve immediately — the crunch is crucial, so no waiting.
- If no air fryer, use toaster oven on broil, watching closely. Or pan-fry in a dry skillet but less even toasting.
- Substitutions: Pickled ginger can be fresh minced ginger with splash of rice vinegar for tang. Lebanese cucumbers replace with English cucumber or regular seeded cucumber if peeled well.
- Shrimp can be replaced by spiced cooked crab meat or cooked scallops for different surf flavor.
Cooking tips
Toasting sesame seeds separately before use is non-negotiable — you avoid bitter burnt flavor and ensure even roast. Pressing each bread slice gently into the seeds while mayo is tacky is key; too wet, they slide off; too dry, no sticking. Air fryer casting is about space—stacking or crowding kills airflow and crispness. Watch bread closely past 9 minutes; aroma and color shifts tell you when crunch arrives. Shrimp salad left without mayo keeps bite and firmness; mixing mayo in makes everything floppy too fast. Assemble just before serving, layering avocado first for cream and sculpting the topping. The mayo layer on bread helps seal and hold sesame, plus adds flavor punch. Keep extra mayo on the side for drizzling, not mixing in. If using fresh ginger instead of pickled, rinse with lime juice to reduce harshness and add acidity. Avoid soaking bread or salad too far ahead; once crispy bread hits moist topping, it softens fast. Timing and serving fast wins.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Toast sesame seeds dry in pan first, medium-low heat, constantly stirring. Watch smell shift—nuttiness peaks fast then burns bitter. No oil here or seeds stay pale and grassy; that bite ruins whole crunch effect. Cool seeds fully before pressing bread. Hot seeds melt mayo, no stick.
- 💡 Press mayo-coated bread gently into seeds when mayo is tacky, not dripping wet. Too much mayo means seeds slide off; too dry equals patchy coverage. Tweaking thickness key. Layer mayo thin but even. Gives sesame something to cling to, holds crust crisp after air fry.
- 💡 Air fryer basket needs space. One layer only. Crowding kills airflow, sesame won’t toast evenly, bread soggy spots sneak in. Preheat air fryer well, 185 degrees Celsius. Listen for light crackling sound near end; that sharp edge pop signals done crumbly crust forming.
- 💡 Shrimp salad no mayo in mix. Keeps bite fresh, crisp. Mayo smears and sogs quickly. Tossed with diced cucumber, lime juice, ginger, sriracha to layer heat and tang. Salt and cracked pepper balance sharpness. Add mayo only when serving, spoon on top or side.
- 💡 Avocado slices firm but ripe, not mushy. Cut lengthwise so they hold shape neat on toast; too soft means salad slumps off. Air fryer bread hot enough to warm avo but not cook it. Layering careful here, make texture contrast pop—cream against crunch. Timing crucial serve soon.
Common questions
What substitutes for Lebanese cucumber?
English cucumber cut small, or peel and deseed regular cucumber. Skin thickness and seed bulk can change salad texture; adjust dice size bigger if not thin-skinned. Avoid watery slices or salad thins out fast.
How to prevent soggy bread?
Toast bread seeds fully first. Apply mayo thin to seal crust, no soaking bread. Assemble close to serving time, crisp crust lasts minutes once salad hits. If prepped early, use lettuce leaf between bread and salad as moisture barrier, less sog.
Can fresh ginger replace pickled?
Yes, but rinse minced fresh ginger with lime juice to soften sharpness. Pickled ginger mild and floral, fresh ginger sharp and spicy. Adjust amount down for fresh or it overwhelms. Adds brightness but needs balance with sriracha.
Best way to store leftovers?
Separate components. Bread loses crisp fast; best toasted fresh. Shrimp salad kept cold, covered airtight 1-2 days max. Avocado slices brown quickly—store with lime juice in airtight to slow oxidation. Reassemble just before eating.
