Crispy and Delicious Chinese Shrimp Toast (Hatoshi)
Chinese Shrimp Toast Recipe: Hatoshi
Experience the delightful contrast of crispy exterior and tender interior with Hatoshi, a popular street food from Southeast Asia! ‘Ha’ means shrimp and ‘Toshi’ means toast in Chinese. Unlike the well-known ‘Menbosha’, Hatoshi features a paste of finely ground fresh shrimp spread generously on bread, coated with sesame seeds, and deep-fried to a perfect crisp. It offers a unique charm different from Menbosha, making it a fantastic snack for kids and a perfect companion for an adult’s beer. Enjoy it with a sweet and spicy sweet chili sauce!
Main Ingredients
- 3 slices of bread
- Generous amount of sesame seeds (spread on a wide plate for easy coating)
- Sweet chili sauce (for serving)
Flavorful Shrimp Paste
- 100g peeled shrimp meat
- 1 fresh egg white
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger (adds a fragrant note)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 100g peeled shrimp meat
- 1 fresh egg white
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger (adds a fragrant note)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the fresh shrimp. Peel the shrimp, rinse them under cold running water, and pat them dry. This step is crucial for removing any unpleasant fishy odor.
Step 2
Let’s make the smooth shrimp paste! In a blender or food processor, combine the shrimp meat, egg white, minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Process until you achieve a fine, smooth paste. If you don’t have a blender, you can finely mince everything with a knife.
Step 3
Now, it’s time to spread the delicious shrimp paste onto the bread. You can trim the crusts off the bread slices if you prefer, or leave them on. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the shrimp paste evenly over one side of each bread slice, ensuring there are no gaps. Aim for a thickness of about 0.5 cm for a great texture after frying.
Step 4
Let’s coat the bread with nutty sesame seeds! Spread a generous amount of sesame seeds on a wide, flat plate. Carefully place the bread, shrimp paste side down, onto the sesame seeds. Gently press down to help the sesame seeds adhere well to the shrimp paste. Press firmly to ensure a good coating of sesame seeds.
Step 5
Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces. Before frying, cut the bread into 2 or 4 pieces per slice. This makes them easier to handle while frying and more convenient to eat. Cut them neatly into your desired size.
Step 6
Time to deep-fry them to a golden crisp! Pour enough cooking oil into a pan to generously cover about half of the toast. Heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough, carefully place the bread slices, sesame seed side down, into the hot oil. You’ll hear a gentle sizzle as they begin to fry beautifully. Fry for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
Step 7
Fry the other side until golden brown. Once one side is golden and crispy, flip the toast and fry the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Maintaining medium heat is key to ensure even cooking. Transfer the cooked Hatoshi to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Arrange them on a serving plate and serve immediately with sweet chili sauce for dipping. Enjoy your delicious homemade Hatoshi!
