Shrimp toast is the latest addition to our compendium of retro Chinese takeout recipes. A flavorful mixture of ground shrimp seasoned with scallions, cilantro, and ginger is spread onto slices of white sandwich bread, and then pan-fried.
I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more obvious fusion between Chinese and American influences than this crispy, tasty appetizer.
A Process of Discovery & Lessons from Grandpa
I’ll admit that before I began developing this recipe, I’d never actually ever tried shrimp toast (gasp!). It was a process of discovery for me, and my dad gave me a lot of guidance.
Apparently, when his father—my grandpa—used to run a Chinese takeout restaurant, his shrimp toast recipe was legendary.
The secret?
Pork fat. Of course.
My grandpa would add fatty pork to the shrimp mixture––a 70/30 fat to meat ratio. He would add just enough of it to flavor the shrimp toast, but not so much as to change the texture of the shrimp mixture.
For this recipe, I used about an ounce of pork fat. If you’d rather not use it, you can just leave it out––just go with your gut!
Why I Don’t Cut Off My Crusts
Another note––many cooks making shrimp toast choose to cut the crusts off the bread, but I am pretty against this. It’s a waste of bread! I also find that the crust provides a good edge to hold the filling onto the bread itself.
If you really want to cut the crusts off though, just do it before you spread on the shrimp mixture, and whizz them up in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. You can then store them in the freezer and pull them out anytime you need to make meatballs, meatloaf, or any other dish in need of some breadcrumb lovin’.
These shrimp toasts make for an excellent party appetizer with beer or cocktails. Definitely New Year’s Eve party appetizer material. This recipe makes 16 little triangle toasts, but you can double or triple the recipe for a larger party!
Shrimp Toast Recipe Instructions
If you’re going the traditional route and using pork fat, add the pork fat to a food processor and process until smooth.
Then add the shrimp, cilantro, scallions, ginger, toasted sesame oil, sugar, salt, cornstarch and egg white.
Process until smooth.
Divide the mixture among 4 slices of sandwich bread, spreading it evenly out to the ends.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and lightly press the sesame seeds into the shrimp mixture.
Cut each slice into quarters on a diagonal to create little triangles.
In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat ⅛ inch of oil until shimmering. Fry the triangles in the skillet, shrimp-side down first, until golden––about 2-3 minutes.
Use a spatula to carefully turn them over, and fry the other side for about 1 minute.
Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately!
Shrimp Toast
Ingredients
- 1 ounce pork fat (30g, optional)
- ½ pound shrimp (225g, peeled and deveined)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 egg white
- 4 slices white sandwich bread
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- If you’re going the traditional route and using pork fat, add the pork fat to a food processor and process until smooth. Then add the shrimp, cilantro, scallions, ginger, sesame oil, sugar, salt, cornstarch and egg white. Process until smooth.
- Divide the mixture among 4 slices of sandwich bread, spreading it evenly out to the ends. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and lightly press the sesame seeds into the shrimp mixture. Cut each slice into quarters on a diagonal to create little triangles.
- In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat ⅛ inch of oil until shimmering. Fry the triangles in the skillet, shrimp-side down first, until golden––about 2-3 minutes.
- Use a spatula to carefully turn them over, and fry the other side for about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately!
nutrition facts
Is there a substitute for the egg white?
Thanks :D
can you deep fry the shrimp toast ?
Yes, John, they are usually deep fried.
Can I use bacon fat instead of pork fat?
Hi Joyce, yes, definitely! The toasts will have a slightly smoky flavor, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
What kind of pork fat?
Hi Lynda, any fat trimmings from a pork shoulder, pork butt, or pork belly will work!
Looks incredibly delicious, I oftenly ate this when aI was a child. But now I’ve got a shrimp intolerance and I miss it so much.
What would you recommend to replace it with ?
Hi Coralie, I’m honestly not sure what I would replace it with—the closest thing I could think of is an alternative shellfish like lump crabmeat.
You could try minced chicken with curry powder, garlic and ginger and the same amount of pork fat
Ps just made this with the prawns and added garlic then doubled up the ingredients. Half of it is gone already and I only just turned the stove off
HI Sarah, do you used cooked or raw shrimp to make paste?
Hi Stephanie, please use raw shrimp.
Made this for the first time to go with some fresh corn chowder that I topped with a cilantro pesto and the flavors were perfectly matched to make a meal. I skipped the pork fat and upped the ginger, cilantro, and sesame a bit and they were a HUGE hit! Not to mention super easy! This was the first time my husband has ever even heard of shrimp toast (yes, he lives under a rock) and he was blown away. Will definitely make this again next time we entertain! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
You’re very welcome, Gabrielle! Glad your husband’s first intro to shrimp toast was such a success!