Ingredients

• 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices brioche or firm white sandwich bread, crusts discarded
• 16 jumbo shrimp, peeled, leaving tail fan attached, and deveined
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• Equipment: 8 (2-ounce) ramekins or small ovenproof cups

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
2. Cut bread into 24 (2- by 1-inch) rectangles, then bake in a 4-sided sheet pan, turning once or twice, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Transfer to a rack to cool.
3. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mash together butter, dill, shallot, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Put a dab of dill butter in each ramekin, then put ramekins in sheet pan. Arrange 2 shrimp, with tails up and facing each other, in each ramekin. Spread remaining dill butter in ramekins and bake until shrimp are just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with toasts.