Retro Sesame Shrimp Toast
蝦多士·(haa dō si)
Appetizers & Soups: The First Bag Out of the Box
If you grew up eating American Chinese takeout, you know the singular joy of pulling a foil-wrapped parcel of shrimp toast out of a greasy paper bag. It is a retro classic that is tragically vanishing from modern menus, but one you can nail at home on a Tuesday night. We aren't reinventing the wheel here, we are embracing the genre's best tricks, like aggressively slapping the shrimp paste to unlock that signature snappy bounce, and swapping hard-to-find pork fat for a simple dollop of mayonnaise. The result is a deeply savory, profoundly nostalgic bite that tastes exactly like the joint down the street, only infinitely fresher because you just made it yourself.
Before you start
Let the bread dry out slightly.
Leave the trimmed bread triangles out on the counter for about an hour before cooking, as slightly stale bread absorbs much less oil in the pan.
Dry the shrimp completely.
Pat the shrimp bone-dry with paper towels before chopping, as any excess surface water will inhibit the formation of the sticky, bouncy paste.
Ingredients
- medium shrimp8 oz
- egg white1 large
- mayonnaise1 tbsp
- cornstarch1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- light soy sauce1 tsp
- fresh ginger1 tsp
- garlic1 small clove
- scallions2 med
- fresh cilantro stems1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- standard white sandwich bread4 slices
- raw white sesame seeds1/4 cup
- neutral cooking oil1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Smash and chop the shrimp.
Place the completely dry shrimp on a cutting board, smack each one flat with the side of a heavy knife to crush it, then run your knife through to finely chop the meat.
- 02
Season and mix the shrimp paste in a single direction.
Transfer the shrimp to a mixing bowl and add the egg white, mayonnaise, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions, cilantro stems, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Use chopsticks or a fork to stir the mixture vigorously in one direction for about sixty seconds.
- 03
Slap the paste to build a bouncy texture.
Pick up the entire blob of shrimp paste and aggressively slap it back down into the bottom of the bowl ten to fifteen times until the texture transforms into something highly sticky, glossy, and springy.
- 04
Assemble and crust the toasts.
Spread a generous tablespoon of the shrimp paste evenly over each bread triangle, pushing it all the way to the edges. Press the bread, shrimp-side down, directly into a plate of the sesame seeds so they adhere to the paste like glue.
- 05
Shallow fry the toasts shrimp-side down first.
Pour the neutral oil into a large skillet to a depth of a quarter-inch and heat over medium-high until it reaches 350F. Working in batches, carefully place the toasts into the hot oil shrimp-side down to instantly sear the protein and lock the paste to the bread.
- 06
Fry until golden and drain.
Cook for two to three minutes until the sesame seeds are deeply toasted, then flip and fry the bread side for another minute or two until perfectly golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to drain for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Use a food processor if you are in a rush.
Instead of hand-smashing, you can pulse the dried shrimp in a food processor five or six times, being careful to leave small, visible chunks rather than pureeing it into a liquid paste.
Freeze them for an instant weeknight appetizer.
Assemble the toasts completely, freeze them raw in a single layer on a baking sheet, and transfer to a zip-top bag. Fry directly from frozen, adding just an extra minute or two to the cooking time.