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Shrimp Toast

Ingredients
  

  • 4-6 garlic cloves
  • Bottom 2 inches of one bunch of green onions (mostly whites)
  • Stems from one bunch of cilantro
  • 16 ounces medium shrimp, partially thawed and somewhat icy
  • 12 ounces bacon or pork fat, cut into 1-inch slices 
  • 1 egg white
  • 2-3 tbsp soy sauce (more if needed to taste)
  • 1-2 tsp hot sauce (more if needed to taste)
  • 1/2 inch slices or triangles of bread as needed (about 16-20 ounces)

Dipping Sauce

  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2-4 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1-2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp chili pepper, minced

Instructions
 

  • Blend the garlic, green onion bottoms and cilantro stems in a food processor until smooth. Add the partially frozen shrimp with the bacon cut into 1-inch pieces and egg white. You can blend until smooth or pulse for more of a textured mousse. Season with soy sauce and hot sauce. 
  • Take out a tablespoon or so of the mixture and fry until cooked all the way through for a taste test. You want a nice balance of salty and spiciness, not overpowering. (Remember, your sauce will add some saltiness and spiciness when it is served.) Once you have achieved the desired taste, you can remove the mousse and store it until you are ready to make your shrimp toast. 
  • When you are ready to fry your shrimp toast, use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread a thin layer (about 1⁄4 of an inch) onto the toast. If you would like, you can make all of them and keep them in the refrigerator for four to five hours until you are ready to fry. 
  • You can pan-fry (oil coming at least halfway up the side of the toast) or deep fry the shrimp toast when you are ready to serve. You want your oil to be about 365 degrees. You can use a deep-fry thermometer or heat the oil until the end of a wooden chopstick or skewer bubbles slightly when put into the oil. 
  • The shrimp toast should fry with a medium pace of bubbles around as it cooks, not a vigorous amount. Too high and the shrimp toast will be overcooked on the outside and raw on the inside; too low and it will be a soggy mess of oil. 
  • When the shrimp toast has a nice even golden brown color on the outside, flip and cook until the other side matches. Remove from the oil and rest on paper towels or a rack. 
  • Plate and drizzle with sauce or serve it on the side. 

Dipping Sauce

  • Mix all sauce ingredients and adjust with more sugar or soy sauce as needed. Chili pepper can be replaced with hot sauce and adjusted as needed. 
  • The sauce can be made two or three days beforehand, adding fresh herbs just before serving.