Have you ever had these classic Cantonese appetizers? Crispy, spicy, and aromatic with a foolproof preparation, they might be your new favorite fried seafood next to fried calamari.
Shrimp toast, sometimes called prawn toast if you’re British, is a Cantonese dim sum dish that originated in Hong Kong. It is made from small triangles of bread, coated in shrimp paste, and cooked by baking or deep frying.
It’s one of the early examples of ‘fusion’ cuisine from hundreds of years back, combining shrimp paste, which is common in Hong Kong cuisine, and toast, originally from the West. The dish became very popular and it could be found in kitchens along trade routes towards Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand.
There are multiple different variants of shrimp toast, and we went for one with a punchy serrano chili, fragrant cilantro, and savory garlic version. Plus the sesame seeds bring it all together for a crunchy coating!
It all starts with these aromatics: whole garlic cloves, roughly chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and serrano chili. Blend together in a food processor before adding most of the peeled shrimp, egg whites, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Blend again into a coarse paste form.
Egg white adds another layer of protein to make sure everything binds correctly, soy sauce for a boost of umami flavor, and sesame oil for a touch of richness and a nuttiness that will pair with the sesame seed coating.
The remaining shrimp are no match for the Forge To Table Classic Cleaver, and by slicing it into bite-sized pieces you get two textures in one bite. Add the shrimp pieces to the paste and season with salt and pepper before dividing the paste into 4 and spreading it equally onto 4 pieces of Japanese milk bread or potato bread.
With a plate full of black and white sesame seeds, dip the shrimp toasts, shrimp-side-down, to completely coat it. Slice each piece of toast into quarters diagonally for a perfect snack size.
The last thing to do is fry them up! You could air fry or bake them, but it’s never as good as some deep-fat frying. We went for vegetable oil, but a little addition of rendered bacon fat or beef tallow can always add a boost of flavor as well.
In batches, shallow fry the toasts, shrimp-side first, until crispy. Flip them and toast the bread side until browned and crunchy. Shrimp don’t take long to cook, so keep an eye out so you don’t overcook the shrimp or burn the bread!
They are so good you really don’t need a dipping sauce, but some fresh squeezed lime juice definitely is a welcome addition with all the savory flavors happening. Enjoy and share with some friends or your next party!
Serrano and Garlic Shrimp Toasts
These unique seafood appetizers come together in less than an hour and feature spicy serranos, savory garlic, and toasty sesame seeds. Simultaneously chewy and crunchy, they might be your new favorite snack or party appetizer!
Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess
Forge To Table Knives
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 large garlic cloves
¼ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, rough chopped, plus more leaves for garnish
2 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 serrano chili
½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
⅓ cup black and white sesame seeds
4 large slices of Japanese milk bread or potato bread
1½ to 2 cups canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Lime wedges, for garnish
Directions:
BLEND. In the bowl of a food processor, add garlic cloves, rough chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and serrano chili, and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and add two-thirds of the shrimp, egg white, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pulse until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl.
MIXTURE. Using your Forge To Table Cleaver, chop the remaining shrimp into bite-sized pieces and add to the shrimp mixture. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and fold to incorporate.
ASSEMBLE. Set the black and white sesame seeds onto a large plate. Evenly divide the shrimp mixture into four and spread each quarter in an even layer on one slice of Japanese milk bread or potato bread.
SESAME SEEDS. Dip the toast, shrimp-side down, into the sesame seed mixture so the entire side is covered in sesame seeds. Place onto a cutting board, sesame-side up, and use your Forge To Table Cleaver to slice diagonally into four triangles.
FRY. In a large skillet, heat ¼ inch of vegetable or canola oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Working in two batches, add the toasts, sesame side down, and fry until golden and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip toasts and continue cooking until the bottom of the bread is golden and crispy underneath, another 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Cook remaining toasts.
SERVE. Serve the toasts onto a plate with lime wedges and more cilantro leaves. Enjoy while warm!
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