Shrimp Toast
In the latest edition of “Jaleesa Craves Chinese Food’ I’ve made Shrimp Toast!
In all 29 years of my life I never had shrimp toast until last year. Boy oh boy was I missing out. I’d heard about them but it wasn’t until I visited Chinatown in Manchester, UK that I actually tried them for myself. They were buttery & filled with flavor, I instantly fell in love. When looking up recipes recently I discovered how simple they actually are to make! A mixture of ground shrimp seasoned with scallions, lemongrass, shallots & ginger is spread onto slices of plain white sandwich bread then pan-fried. What can I say, I’m a sucker for Americanized Chinese food. I baked a few just to see how they would turn out (let’s just say they didn’t make the cut for photos). I saw on some variations of the recipe that some people cut off the crust of the bread but I think that is blasphemy. & a waste of bread! It also provides a good edge to hold the filling onto the bread itself.
First, your going to want to mix the shrimp, sesame oil, salt, cornstarch, egg white, scallions, lemongrass, shallots & ginger in a food processor or blender. Once smooth divide mixture equally between the four pieces of bread.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds & lightly press seeds into the shrimp mixture.
Cut each slice into quarters on a diagonal to create little triangles. In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil until shimmering. Fry the triangles shrimp-side down first until golden, about 3 minutes. Flip & cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel to catch any access oil then serve immediately. I also made a little tangy dipping sauce but its still delicious without.
If you have leftovers to eat later heat them in the oven for a few minutes to warm, the microwave won’t keep the crispiness you just created!
Ingredients:
½ pound shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp shallot, finely chopped
2 tbs lemongrass
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 egg white
4 slices white sandwich bread (I used Wonder Bread)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
vegetable oil, for frying
For Dipping Sauce:
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
dash of sesame oil
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp shallot, finely chopped
Add the shrimp, ginger, lemongrass, shallots, scallions, ginger, sesame oil, salt, cornstarch & egg white to food process or blender and mix until smooth.
Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 slices of sandwich bread. Sprinkle with sesame seeds & lightly press the sesame seeds into the shrimp mixture. Cut each slice into quarters at a diagonal to create triangles.
In a bowl whisk all dipping sauce ingredients together until honey is dissolved & place to the side.
In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat ⅛ inch of oil until shimmering. Fry the triangles in the skillet shrimp-side down first until golden, about 2-3 minutes.
Carefully turn them over & fry the other side for about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Enjoy!
