A fantastic party dish that is easy to make ahead of time is my version of shrimp toast with a Vietnamese twist. Shrimp paste mixed with ground meat of your choice, pressed between slices of white bread and then deep fried is always a crowd favorite. I have deep fried these mini sandwiches and have also used the air fryer. Deep frying creates a crunchier and tastier shrimp toast. Air frying these mini sandwiches is a healthier alternative and you will still get the nice crunch in every bite. Whichever method you choose, your friends and family will love you for it.
Difficulty: Easy / Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 24 toasts
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. / approximately 22 shrimps/ 350 gram of shrimp (devein with no shell and no head)
1/2 lb. of frozen ground meat such as pork, chicken or turkey
1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper
1 and 1/2 tablespoon of a neutral oil
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder or annatto powder
1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of diced scallion
1 package of white sandwich bread
Equipment: Food processor
Directions:
Wash and dry shrimps well.
Cut shrimps into smaller pieces and marinate with 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder or annatto powder, and 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Cut the frozen meat into smaller pieces. Using a food processor, blend the frozen meat with 1 tablespoon of oil until you have a smooth paste. If you do not use frozen meat, the paste will be soggy. Set aside.
Blend the marinated shrimps with 2 tablespoons of dice scallion until it becomes a paste.
Mix the meat paste with the shrimp paste thoroughly.
Prepare the bread by cutting the crust.
1. If Deep Frying
Flatten the bread with a rolling pin and cut into 4 squares.
Add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to each mini sandwich.
Microwave the sandwich for 30 seconds to 1 minutes to par cook. Shrimp should still be slightly pink.
Heat up oil to 350F.
Once the oil is heated, add the shrimp toast. Once the bottom turns golden brown, which usually only takes a few minutes, flip over and fry the other side. It’s easy to burn the toast as bread will turn golden very quickly. That is why we par cook the toast before deep frying.
Remove the toast from the oil onto a plate with paper towel to drain any excess oil.
2. If using the air fryer
Cut each piece of bread into 4 squares. Add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to each mini sandwich.
Spray the toast with oil or brush on a light coating of oil on each side of the toast.
Bake it in the air fryer at 400F for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Turn them over at the halfway mark.
Serve the shrimp toast with ketchup and mayonnaise.
It’ll be hard to just eat one.
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