Shrimp Toasts with Water Chestnuts
The popularity of shrimp toasts peaked in the 60s and has since largely faded into oblivion. But I love these crisp triangles of white toast topped with the sweet, savory spread, rich with shrimp and crunchy with water chestnuts. When beautifully browned, it's irresistible. And the addition of butter to my version certainly doesn't hurt. To me, this is Chinese-American food at its best.
Ingredients
- 15 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 6 water chestnuts, preferably fresh, peeled and diced, or ½ cup peeled and diced jicama
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 slices white bread, preferably Arnold or Pepperidge Farm
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (see page 15), plus more as needed
- Peanut oil or clarified unsalted butter for frying
- 3 tablespoons snipped chives
- Duck Mustard or Chinese mustard, store-bought is fine
Instructions
- Put 5 ounces of the shrimp in a food processor and grind. Chop the remaining shrimp into ½-inch pieces and set aside. Add the butter and 1 teaspoon salt to the food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the chopped shrimp, scallions, wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, water chestnuts, sugar, and remaining teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined.
- Cut the crusts off the bread and cut each slice of bread in half diagonally. Put the shrimp mixture on each slice of bread, patting it down to secure it. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. At this point, you can brown the toasts or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
- Pour oil or clarified butter to a depth of ⅛ inch in a large skillet and set over medium heat. Add the shrimp toasts, shrimp side down, and cook until browned and crisp, then turn and brown the other side. Do not overcrowd the skillet; work in batches if necessary. Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with chives and serve with Duck Mustard or Chinese mustard.