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Make these crispy savory shrimp toasts as an appetizer or finger food for the holidays or your next dinner party.

Shrimp Toast

Make these crispy savory shrimp toasts as an appetizer or finger food for the holidays or your next dinner party.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: restaurant-style
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Minced shrimp spread

  • 1 lb shrimp , raw and deveined
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 teaspoons ginger , grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic , grated
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Toast

  • 8 slices of white bread
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (if pan frying)
  • 1 green onion , sliced (for garnish)
  • 6 lemon wedges (1 lemon’s worth)
  • Kewpie mayonnaise (Optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

To prepare the shrimp spread

  • (Option 1) Chop and mix by hand: Take half the shrimp, and cut them into 1 cm long pieces. Mince the other half until it forms a fine paste. Add both into a large bowl. Add the egg white, ginger, garlic, soy, sugar, salt, sesame oil and white pepper to the bowl. Mix forcefully with your hands, occasionally slapping the shrimp mixture down into the bowl. Continue mixing and slapping until the mix takes on a firm texture. (Footnote 1)
  • (Option 2) Use a blender: Alternatively, you can cut half of the shrimp to 1/2” (6 mm) long pieces, then blend the rest of the shrimp and all the seasonings together in a food processor. Transfer the minced shrimp to a big plate, and mix it with the chopped shrimp.

To assemble the toasts

  • Cut the crust off the slices of bread. Separate the shrimp mix equally between the bread slices, and spread the shrimp mix evenly over each slice. Sprinkle the shrimp mix very generously with sesame seeds
  • Use a small pan that can just fit one toast, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, enough to coat the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking hot. Turn to medium-low heat. To add the toast, gently flip the toast onto a spatula, then slowly lower into the pan shrimp side down. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp side is cooked through. You can tell by observing the edge of the shrimp, it should turn a white-ish pink all the way through.. Flip the toasts and lightly cook the bottom until golden crispy, 1 minute or so. Immediately transfer the toast onto a big plate. Continue cooking the rest of the toasts, adding more oil if needed.
  • If using an airfryer: Preheat for 5 minutes at 300°F (150°C). Spray the shrimp side of toast with vegetable oil, place into the air fryer tray shrimp side up. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through. Then transfer the toast onto a plate.
  • If using an oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Spray the shrimp side of toast with vegetable oil, place onto a baking tray shrimp side up. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through.
  • Once the toasts have cooled enough to handle, cut each toast diagonally. Garnish with scallions. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges and mayonnaise as an appetizer.

Notes

  1. This technique is called “dat”, and works the protein in the mix to create a bouncy texture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 13.5g, Fat: 13.2g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 472mg, Potassium: 138mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1.7g, Calcium: 101mg, Iron: 2mg