Shrimp toast is like one of my must-order dishes at a dim sum restaurant. Something irresistible about that crispy toasty bread bound with umami-filled shrimp paste.
I searched a bit online and realized that I don't have to use a deep fryer for the shrimp toast, just add more oil and go with the pan-fried way will do. The key concern has been dealt with, so I rolled up my sleeves and got working in the kitchen right away.
Pan-fried version shrimp toast -
Ingredients (about 8 individual squares, that means two whole toast slices)?
- 300 grams shrimps
- 1 small chunk ginger
- 1 stalk scallion
- 1 small bundle cilantro (or parsley if cilantro is unavailable)
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- 2 white toast slices
- Some toasted white sesame seeds
- Some olive oil
- Some Thai sweet chili sauce (optional)
How?
Peel and devein the shrimps and add that to the food processor. Scrape the ginger and slice a small chunk, we will need about 1 teaspoon finely chopped portion, so roughly measure the size of the chunk you need. Add to the food processor.
Destem and slice the scallion into shorter sections. Add that to the food processor too along with small bundle of cilantro. If you can't find cilantro, parsley is your next best bet. Separate one egg into white and yolk, save the yolk for something else, and add the egg white to the processor.
We have the ingredients ready, now add the following seasonings to the food processor: 1 tablespoon of potato starch, 1/4 teaspoon of dark sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blend till the mixture appears paste-like.
Bring out the white toast slices. I chose not to trim-off the edge of the toast, because once pan-fried, that edge actually gets extra crispy and even more delicious.
Spread the shrimp paste onto the toast. You can use a silicon spatula to help even out the portion and smooth out the surface. Sprinkle some toasted white sesame seeds on top then use a sharp knife to cut the toast into four individual serving squares or triangles.
Drizzle more olive oil than usual to the pan, I used about 5 tablespoons. Switch to medium heat and wait till it turns warm. Transfer the toasts over paste-side down. Continue to use medium or medium low heat to sear till the paste firms up and set.
Flip and sear the toast side till slightly browned on the bottom. Note that once flipped, the toast side can get browned or even burnt faster than expected, so please pay extra attention during this step.
Have a wide plate lined with paper towel. Transfer cooked shrimp toasts over so that the paper towel can help absorbing excess oil first. Wait a short moment then transfer the shrimp toasts to the final serving plate.
You can serve with some Thai sweet chili sauce on the side if preferred, or garnish the plate with some fresh cilantro or parsley, whichever you used in the shrimp toasts.
This recipe reminds me of something else, there's one somewhat similar dish as shrimp toast, the lobster sandwich. However, I'm not talking about the western style lobster sandwich, but the one usually found at an Asian seafood restaurant.
The shape looks just like a sandwich, the triangle kind, and usually there are three toasts stacking up then sliced into two triangular servings. So you put on some spread on the toast. As for the filling, generally there're cucumber slices, tomato slices, ham slices, and most importantly lobster meat!
Then you dip the whole thing in the batter or some places will use beaten eggs then breadcrumbs. And the sandwich will be fried as a whole. Once that's done, slice in half so you'll get two triangular servings.
Don't you think that the shrimp toast and Asian lobster sandwich do share something similar? Hopefully I can recreate the lobster sandwich at home one day too, but for that I definitely have to use the deep-fry method, and the ingredient cost for sure will be sky skyrocketing.
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