Make this quick and easy shrimp toast at home with bread slices coated in a layer of savory-sweet shrimp filling, topped with sesame seeds, and fried to a perfect crunch.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese shrimp toast, prawn toast, Shrimp toast
Make the shrimp topping. In a food processor, pulse together the scallions, cilantro, and garlic until well-chopped. Add the egg white, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, black pepper, ground ginger, and ¾ of the shrimp. Pulse until a paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, finely chop the rest of the shrimp, and fold it into the mixture.
Assemble. Spread the shrimp mixture evenly over each piece of bread and sprinkle each slice with sesame seeds. Press the sesame seeds into the bread.
Fry. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat about 1/8-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Wait for the oil to shimmer before adding the shrimp toast to the pan, shrimp side down. Fry for 2 minutes, flip, and fry for an additional 1 minute. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the toasts in batches if necessary.
Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate while you work on the rest of the toasts.
Serve. Cut each slice into quarters and serve warm.
Notes
Use fresh or frozen raw shrimp, not cocktail shrimp.
Keep it simple and use regular white bread slices.
Whenever possible, use low-sodium soy sauce.
For frying, use a high smoke point, neutral-tasting oil like avocado, canola, or grapeseed. Avoid olive oil.
Maintain medium to medium-high heat. Too cool, the toasts become greasy and soggy. Too hot, and they'll burn.
Use a deep, sturdy pot or pan for frying the toasts. If you're using a thermometer, the oil should be around 350°F (180°C) for deep frying.
Don't crowd the pan and fry the toasts in batches.
Shrimp toast is best served immediately while hot and crispy. Serve with soy sauce or sweet chili sauce for dipping.