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Golden, Crispy Hong Kong Shrimp Toast

Hong Kong shrimp toast on a platter
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
5 min
Yields
4 servings

Hong Kong’s Cha Chaan Teng (“tea restaurant” aka Hong Kong café) sprang up in the 1950s and 60s while Hong Kong was still under British rule. This influence is one of the reasons why many of the dishes you’ll find on a Cha Chaan Teng’s staggeringly large and eclectic menu are a fusion of Chinese and Western cuisines. In company with iconic fusion dishes like spam macaroni soup, baked pork chop rice, and peanut butter condensed milk French toast, shrimp toast (蝦多士) is one of the mainstays. They are easy and quick to make at home, too. Seasoned minced shrimp paste is spread on white bread, coated in nutty sesame seeds, and deep fried until golden and super crunchy. Serve them as an afternoon snack or party appetizer – adults and children alike will appreciate.

Related: Chinese Pan-Fried Buns with Pork

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ingredients

Shrimp mixture

225
g peeled and deveined raw shrimp (from a 340g bag of frozen medium size shell-on shrimp)
1
egg white
1
Tbsp cold water
1
tsp soy sauce
1
tsp toasted sesame oil
1
tsp grated fresh ginger
1
tsp corn starch or potato starch
½
tsp salt
tsp white pepper powder

Shrimp toast

4-5
white bread slices (optional to trim crusts)
5
Tbsp white sesame seeds
Chopped scallions to garnish, optional
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directions

Notes

Traditionally, the crust is trimmed off the bread slices. You may do so (and snack on the crusts!) or leave the crusts on – it’s up to you.

Ingredients for Hong Kong shrimp toast
Step 1

Place all shrimp mixture ingredients into food processor. Long-pulse until mixture forms a paste-like consistency but is not fully smooth – it’s nice to leave some texture to it.

Shrimp paste in a food processor
Step 2

Spread about ¼ cup of shrimp mixture on each slice of bread, spreading right to the edges, slightly doming in the center. Cut each into four triangles (or halved into two triangles or rectangles).

Shrimp paste on white bread
Step 3

Place sesame seeds in a small, shallow dish. Gently place triangles, shrimp-side down, on top of sesame seeds. The sesame seeds stick easily to the shrimp mixture, so there is no need to press down or else the shrimp mixture will get squeezed over the edges.

Uncooked shrimp toast on a baking sheet
Step 4

Pour enough oil in a skillet so it is about 1-inch deep. Heat over medium heat to 375°F. If you don’t have an instant thermometer, insert a dry wooden chopstick or wooden spoon handle into the oil. If a lot of bubbles rapidly rise up the sides, the oil is ready.

Note: Frying them at a too-low temperature will yield a greasy result as the bread absorbs too much oil; frying them at a too-high temperature will brown too quickly. Therefore, monitor and adjust heat as needed to maintain a fairly constant temperature.

Step 5

Working in batches of four triangles at a time, carefully slide them shrimp-side down into the oil. Fry until golden, about 60 seconds. Flip and fry the other side until golden, 30 seconds or so. Drain on paper towels. Repeat for remaining triangles, adjusting heat as needed.

Shrimp toast being fried in a skillet of oil
Step 6

Serve fresh with a garnish of chopped scallions.

Shrimp toast on a platter, ready to serve

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