Although these pickled-shrimp toasts might not look like your mama’s traditional pickled shrimp, we channeled all the flavor of the coastal classic into a beautiful appetizer that’s certainly worthy of company.

The shrimp is marinated in an acidic dressing that produces an evenly seasoned and lightly pickled complement to the rich, and ever-so-slightly boozy mayonnaise. The brandy in the mayo might seem odd, but is inspired by the shrimp bisque found on menus across New Orleans, which is often made with cognac.

You’ll have some pickled shrimp leftover after assembling the toasts, but finding ways to use it up aren’t hard; from scooping it onto a humble saltine to chopping it up to add to pasta, the mixture is far more versatile than you might think. 

Editor’s Note: This recipe was developed by Liz Mervosh; the intro was written by Alana Al-Hatlani.