Chinese Shrimp or Prawn Toast or Haa Dō Si 蝦多士. Whether you call it prawn or shrimp toast, this Cantonese Dim Sum recipe is delicious. Thought to have originated in southern China, it is very popular in Australia, Ireland and the UK, where it is topped with toasted Sesame seeds. It is perhaps one of the original fusion foods, marrying shrimp paste with white sandwich bread.
If you have been on my website before, you will know I’m a big fan of Cantonese food. Chinese shrimp toast is flavoured with three important Cantonese ingredients. Spring onion, ginger and garlic. Like all ingredients in Cantonese cooking, the key is not to overpower the main ingredients but to complement them. The keyword in Cantonese cooking is balance.
A little Bit of Shrimp Toast History
There is no clear origin for Shrimp Toast. One theory is they were created as a snack in the port of Guangzhou for the Portuguese merchants and sailors. Guangzhou was part of the Silk Road and the only major trading port open to foreign traders. It was formally known by the British name of Canton. The name Cantonese derives from this name and is now used to describe the local dialect and culture.
The dish became popular in Hong Kong, where it is served coated with breadcrumbs and baked or deep-fried. Shrimp toast then made its way along trade routes to the Japanese port of Nagasaki. Here, the food is a blend of Japanese, Chinese and European cuisines. Today, shrimp toast is a popular dish in the restaurants in the Chinatown area of Nagasaki, where they also make a version with minced pork. You can also find Shrimp Toast recipes in Vietnam.
If you like my Shrimp toast recipe, why not try some of my other delicious Cantonese recipes like Whole baked Fish with Ginger and Spring Onions, Char-Sui Pork or the fabulous Chinese-style Roast Duck.
What to drink?
The wine I like to drink with Shrimp Toast is dry Riesling; it won’t overpower the delicate flavours, and the acidity will help cut through the richness. If you prefer beer try a crisp, refreshing Pilsner lager.
My Sesame Shrimp Toast Recipe
Some recipes add finely diced Water Chestnuts to add some crunch and texture to the recipe. I like to add just a little green chilli for a bit of heat, but feel free to omit. I generously season my shrimp mix with a good splash of fish sauce. If you don’t have any, use a little salt. You can use gluten-free bread if you want to make a gluten-free version.
Sesame Shrimp Toast
Equipment
- 1 Large heavy-bottomed Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick sliced White Bread
- 150 gr large Shrimp / Prawns de-veined
- 50 gr Sesame Seeds
- 1 free-range Egg
- 1 large clove Garlic peeled and crushed
- 3 cm piece Ginger peeled and grated
- 3 Spring Onions trimmed, halved and finely chopped
- ½ Green Chilli deseeded and very finely chopped
- A small handful fresh Coriander finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon Cornflour
- ½ tablespoon Fish Sauce
- ½ tablespoon Rice wine Vinegar
- Vegetable Oil for frying
Instructions
- Place the shrimp into a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the egg, fish sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic. Quickly pulse again.
- Add the spring onion, coriander and chilli and pulse one more time. I like some texture, so I don’t process the ingredients totally to a paste. If the mixture is sloppy add the cornflour and pulse again.
- Spread the shrimp mixture over the slices of bread. Place the shrimp covered bread on to a tray and sprinkle generously with the sesame seeds and gently press down with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Pour enough vegetable oil into a wide heavy-bottomed frying pan to one centimetre deep. Heat then carefully add a piece of toast in the pan with a fish slice
- Cook until golden brown, then carefully turn over and cook for two more minutes. Remove and place on absorbent kitchen paper. Cook all of the remaining toast topping up the oil as required.
- When cooked cut into squares or diamonds and serve with soy or sweet chilli sauce.
Notes
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