A Very Inauthentic Shrimp Toast

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Chinese-ish: Home Cooking Not Quite Authentic 100% Delicious by Rosheen Kaul & Joanna Hu (Interlink Books, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

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Ingredients:

• 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 oz (120 g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¾ oz (20 g) guanciale or pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 ½ oz (40 g) ground pork
• 1 ½ inch (4 cm) piece ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ oz (20 g) dill sprigs, finely chopped
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 4 slices white bread
• 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

1. Warm the olive oil in a small frying pan and add the garlic. Fry over low heat until the garlic is soft, then set aside to cool.
2. Place the shrimp, guanciale, ground pork, ginger, cornstarch, fish sauce, white pepper, and salt into a food processor and pulse to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the softened garlic, along with the dill and lemon zest, and stir through.
3. Cut each slice of bread into four triangles. Spread the shrimp mixture thickly over each triangle and set aside.
4. Heat the vegetable oil to 350 F (180 C) using a food thermometer to check the temperature, then deep-fry the shrimp triangles in small batches until golden-brown. Drain using a slotted spoon and eat with a squeeze of lemon juice.