Taiwanese Tainan Coffin Toast with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices milk bread, about 2 inches thick
• 3 cups mixed vegetables such as carrot, peas, corn, and mushroom, diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups neutral oil, for frying
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 scallions, sliced
• Salt

Steps

1. Cut a square lid off the top of each thick slice of bread and hollow out the inside with a small knife, leaving walls about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Leave the walls thick enough to hold. Thin walls collapse under the stew, which is exactly what this dish is designed to avoid.
3. Heat the oil to 350F (175C) and fry the hollowed boxes and their lids for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and rigid.
4. Frying seals the crumb so the filling cannot soak through. A toasted, unfried box goes soggy within a minute.
5. Drain them upside down on a rack so any oil inside runs out.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan, cook the onion for 5 minutes, then the garlic for 30 seconds, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking hard after each addition until smooth, then simmer for 3 minutes until it thickens to a coating consistency.
8. Add the diced vegetables and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender, season with the soy sauce, salt, and white pepper, then spoon into the fried boxes, set the lids on, and serve at once.

Allergen note: Contains gluten, dairy, and soy.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.