CC license


Shrimp toast or prawn toast is a Chinese dim sum dish. It is made from small triangles of bread, brushed with egg and coated with minced shrimp and water chestnuts, then cooked by baking or deep frying. It is a common appetizer in Australian and American Chinese cuisine. A common variant in the United Kingdom is sesame prawn toast. This involves sprinkling sesame seeds before the baking or deep frying process.



History

This dish has over 100 years of history, originating in Dresden, Germany, it was adopted as a popular dish in China's Guangdong Province. It is called Hatosi 蝦多士 in Cantonese, Ha meaning shrimp, Tosi being a loan word from English meaning toast. The dish's range expanded along with foreign trade, making its way to Japan and Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand. An amusing aspect of this recipe is that the Thai version inverts the toast for the first cooking. Ahhh!!! Thailand must be unique!Serves: 16 - 32





Ingredients:

  • 185 g Raw shrimps, peeled, deveined and finely chopped
  • 125 g Lean pork, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Palm sugar
  • 1 Shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic, crushed and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Vietnamese Fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 slices Bread
  • 2 teaspoons Sesame seeds
  • 3 cups Vegetable oil, for deep frying
  • 1 sprig Basil leaves, for garnishing

Method :

  1. Mix together the shrimps, pork, sugar, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, ginger and egg.
  2. Spread the mixture on the bread.
  3. Press some sesame seeds onto each piece.
  4. Heat the oil in a large wok and slide the bread into it, 2 pieces at a time, spread side up.
  5. Deep fry for about 5 minutes, until golden.
  6. Turn each slice over and fry for 30 seconds, then remove from the wok and drain on kitchen paper.
  7. Cut each piece of bread into halves or quarters.
  8. Garnish with basil sprigs and serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce.