Shrimp Toast

 

Shrimp Toast

Originally a Chinese appetizer called Hatosi (蝦多士) or shrimp toast, this is a simplified version that makes for a great party canapé. Aside from a little cutting and spreading, they’re simple to prepare and are a tasty finger food that goes well with beer, wine or champagne
Each toast has a layer of crisp sandwich bread on one side, and ginger and scallion flavored minced shrimp on the other. Dipped in sweet Thai chili sauce these shrimp toasts are dangerously addictive!

There’s no need to buy expensive bread, in fact thinner (i.e. cheaper) bread works better because it absorbs less oil while frying and ends up light and crisp. The shrimp and pork spread that goes on top can be done ahead of time and frozen, so you can make a big batch and save the rest for later.
If you’ve exhausted your canapé repertoire between all the holiday parties this month, give these a try for New Years. Unless it’s a kosher party, they’re sure to be a hit!

Shrimp Toast

makes 48 toasts
12 thin slices sandwich bread
14 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces ground pork
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup tablespoons minced green onions
1 egg
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper to taste
parsley for garnish
oil for deep frying
sweet Thai chili sauce for dipping

Put the shrimp, pork, cornstarch, green onions, egg, ginger, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it’s almost smooth. You may need to scrape the bowl down a few times with a spatula. It should resemble a chunky paste, however there shouldn’t be any large pieces of shrimp left. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mince the shrimp with a knife and mix everything else together in a bowl by hand.

Cut the crusts off the bread (the crust will burn if you leave it on), then cut the bread into four triangles, squares or sticks. Spread about a teaspoon of the shrimp mixture on each piece of bread. Make sure to get the shrimp all the way to the edges or the bread will curl while frying. Press a small piece of parsley into each toast for color.
Add about 2 inches of oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat to 350 degrees F. The oil needs to be very hot, or the bread will soak up excess oil, and the shrimp will get overcooked.
Add the toasts, shrimp side down. When the edges of the bread start to brown, flip the toasts over and fry the bread side until it is golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined rack with the bread side facing the paper towel to drain as much oil as possible.
Serve with the Sweet Thai Chili Sauce for dipping.