This Sesame Shrimp Toast Is Better Than Takeout

Though “toast” (in the sense of something beyond buttered bread) really came into the American culinary zeitgeist with the millennial generation, in Hong Kong, it’s been a teatime staple for decades, ever since British imperialists introduced bread to the island. Locals assimilated it into their own food culture, and soon enough shrimp toast — what I suspect was just shrimp dumpling filling spread over a slice of bread and pan-fried — had become a ubiquitous and quintessential Hong Kong dish. While totally optional, the brunoised vegetables — especially the water chestnuts — provide a nice crispness and textural contrast to the rich paste.

Sesame Shrimp Toast Recipe

Makes 4 toasts

Ingredients

Shrimp Paste

• 8 ounces peeled and deveined
• raw shrimp (any size)
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 large egg white
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, brunoised (¼ cup; optional)
• 1 celery stalk, brunoised (¼ cup; optional)
• ¼ cup brunoised canned water chestnuts (optional)

Toasts

• 4 thin slices soft white sandwich bread
• 1 tablespoon untoasted, hulled sesame seeds
• Neutral oil

Make the shrimp paste: In a food processor, combine the shrimp, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, white pepper, and paprika and blitz into a paste. Add the cornstarch and egg white and pulse to fully combine. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the scallions and the carrot, celery, and water chestnuts (if using). Transfer the shrimp paste to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

Instructions

When ready to cook, spread the shrimp paste over one side of each slice of bread, dividing it evenly among them and making sure to fully and evenly cover the entire surface. Sprinkle evenly with the sesame seeds.

Generously coat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet with oil and heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering or a sesame seed sizzles on contact. Add the bread, seed-side down, and press down on it gently with the back of a spatula to help the seeds adhere as they cook. Cook for about 3 minutes, just until the shrimp paste is cooked through and the sesame seeds turn golden brown; reduce the heat if the seeds start to burn. Flip and cook until brown on the other side, about 1 minute more. Serve immediately.

Variation: Shrimp Meatballs
If you form the shrimp paste into balls and toss them into a pot of gently boiling water, they become meatballs. Once cooked, they’ll gingerly float and bob at the top. Remove them using a slotted spoon, stick some toothpicks in them, and serve them as hors d’oeuvres so your carb-free friends feel included. Serve with a little black vinegar on the side. You can also use this paste as a filling for dumplings.

Reprinted with permission from Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Jon Kung © 2023. Photographs © 2023 by Johnny Miller. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House