Golden, crunchy fried bread topped with fragrant, juicy shrimp paste, this shrimp toast is a dim sum classic you can’t miss

What is shrimp toast?

Shrimp toast (蝦多士) aka prawn toast is a popular Chinese treat typically served at Yum Cha (Dim sum in the US) or Cantonese restaurants. The dish originates from Hong Kong, however, it is a fusion of Western and Asian cuisine.

It is essentially a slice of golden fried white bread topped with a flavourful shrimp paste and sesame seeds. The bread is crunchy and the shrimp paste is soft and juicy. The sesame seeds on top add another layer of texture and crunch.

This recipe is so much easier than you think and now you can make this classic at home!

Ingredients

Shrimp Paste

• White shrimp: Use medium-sized shrimp, but the bigger the shrimp the better the toast. You can use both frozen or fresh shrimp. Pro tip: Use deveined and deshelled shrimp
• Ginger: Ginger adds an aromatic flavor to the shrimp paste
• Garlic: Garlic also adds an aromatic flavor, don’t forget to add the aromatics as they give the toast dimension and flavor
• Spring onion and Coriander: Both of these add flavor as well as a splash of green to the shrimp paste
• Egg: The egg helps to bind the shrimp paste together
• White pepper: White pepper makes the shrimp paste aromatic, make sure you use finely ground powder
• Chicken bouillion powder: Chicken powder adds another layer of umami to the dish, this can be substituted for vegetable powder for pescatarians
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps bind the prawn paste together, you can substitute this with potato starch or tapioca starch
• Granulated sugar: Sugar helps to balance out the flavors of the dish with a touch of sweetness
• YumYum: YumYum is my special blend of MSG, this helps to bring the flavor together and gives it a boost of umami. You can purchase it here, or you can substitute it with MSG
• Sesame oil: Sesame oil adds a nutty fragrance to the shrimp paste
• Shaoxing wine: Cooking wine is important when cooking as it removes any fishy odors and adds a layer of fragrance to the dish

Assembly

• White bread: Use regular white bread for the most authentic version
• White sesame seeds: Sesame seeds give the prawn extra texture and flavor

How to assemble shrimp toast

Put the shrimp on your chopping board with your aromatics and roughly chop with your knife until it’s almost a paste. Make sure you don’t chop it too finely as you want larger chunks of shrimp throughout the dish.

Add the egg, cornstarch, and seasonings to the shrimp paste and mix until well combined.

Spread the shrimp paste onto the toast and place the toast prawn side down onto a plate of sesame seeds. Press down lightly to secure the sesame seeds on the toast.

Heat the oil to 170C/340F, drop the bread prawn side down into the oil, and fry for 1 minute. Then flip the toast and fry for another minute until golden.

Shrimp Toast

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Golden, crunchy fried bread topped with fragrant, juicy shrimp paste, this is a dimsum classic you can’t miss

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

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Shrimp Paste

• 30 White shrimp, deveined and shelled
• 2 slices Ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Coriander, finely chopped
• 1 Large egg
• 1/2 tsp White pepper
• 2 tsp Chicken bouillon powder
• 3 tbs Cornstarch
• 1 tsp Granulated sugar
• 2 tsp YumYum, aka MSG
• 2 tsp Sesame oil
• 2 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine

Assembly

• 8 Slices white bread
• 1 cup White sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. Place the shrimp, garlic, ginger, spring onion, and coriander on a chopping board
2. Using a knife chop everything together until it forms a paste, make sure you don’t chop it too fine as you want some larger chunks of shrimp
3. In a large bowl add the shrimp paste, egg, white pepper, chicken powder, cornstarch, sugar, YumYum, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine
4. Mix everything until well combined
5. Cut the crusts off your white bread
6. Spread 3 tbsp of shrimp paste evenly across a slice of bread
7. Spread the sesame seeds over a plate and place the toast, shrimp side down, onto the sesame seeds
8. Heat the oil until 170C/340F, you can check by throwing in a small piece of white bread, it should bubble and turn golden when added to the oil
9. Add the toast, shrimp side down into the oil and fry for 1 min per side, or until golden brown
10. Remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack or paper towel
11. Cut the toast into triangles and serve with sweet chilli sauce for dipping

• Author: Vincent Yeow Lim
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Dim Sum
• Method: Intermediate
• Cuisine: Chinese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 435
• Sugar: 2.7 g
• Sodium: 2310.9 mg
• Fat: 22.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 44.5 g
• Protein: 13 g
• Cholesterol: 72.9 mg