Sesame Shrimp Toast
Sesame Shrimp Toast (xia duo shi, 虾多士) is a fusion food that appeared after the British colonized Hong Kong Island. It was first a popular dim sum item served in tea house restaurants. Being a free port, Hong Kong has brought this dish to many countries worldwide. Usually, restaurants will deep-fry the toast, which is not recommended for home cooking because if you don't know how to monitor the heat, you will likely end up with a sponge soaked with oil. Pan-frying is so much healthier and easier to manage.
⏱️ Prep: 30 min🍳 Cook: 15 min
Ingredients
| 454 g | peeled and deveined shrimp |
| 3 g | grated ginger |
| 9 g | garlic, minced (about 3 cloves) |
| 16.6 g | soy sauce |
| 12 g | oyster sauce |
| 2.9 g | salt |
| 1 g | sweet paprika |
| 0.6 g | ground white pepper (or to taste) |
| 9 g | sesame oil |
| 11 g | cornstarch |
| 1 | egg white |
| 57 g | diced bamboo shoot |
| 57 g | diced carrot |
| 30 g | scallions, diced (about 2) |
| 16 g | cilantro leaves (about 8) |
| 8 | white toast slices |
| 23 g | raw sesame seeds |
| 41-54 g | cooking oil |
Instructions
- Smash the shrimp one by one using a heavy-duty cleaver or a hammer meat tenderizer; then chop the shrimp finely and place into a big mixing bowl. You can also use a food processor if you have one.
- Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, grated ginger, minced garlic, white pepper, cornstarch, sweet paprika, sesame oil, and the egg white and mix thoroughly. Keep stirring the shrimp in one direction for 5 minutes to develop the texture. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- While waiting, dice the bamboo shoots, carrot, scallion, and cilantro, and then thoroughly mix them with the seasoned ground shrimp.
- Divide the shrimp mixture into eight portions; evenly spread each portion on one side of the toast until all the bread is covered on one side.
- Line all the toast on the working surface with the shrimp-side up and evenly sprinkle the raw sesame seeds. Then gently press the sesame into the shrimp paste so they don't fall off while cooking. Meal prepping tip: you can make a lot at once and stack the shrimp toasts with parchment papers between them to prevent sticking. Freeze them for up to three months. Whenever you want to eat them again, directly pan-fry them on medium-low heat without defrosting until both sides are golden brown and crispy, about 5-6 minutes per side.
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for a minute. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Don't use too much oil. Otherwise, the bread will absorb the grease, and you will end up with an oily sponge. You can also use butter instead to add a richer flavor to your toast.
- Place the shrimp toast into the skillet with the meat side down and pan-fry for a few minutes or until the shrimp is cooked. Then flip and pan-fry the other side for 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crispy. During the cooking, rotate the toasts a few times so they can get an even crust.
- You may be able to pan-fry 2-3 toasts at a time, depending on the size of your skillet. Serve the shrimp toast for breakfast or brunch with your favorite sides, such as fries, eggs, and sausages. Ingredient Tips: Bamboo shoots provide a crunchy texture. If you don't have them, use any hard vegetables that you like such as carrots, lotus root, water chestnuts, celery, or green beans. Eggplant slices are a great keto option to replace the toast.