What can I say about shrimp toast other than . . . SHRIMP TOOOOAAAAAST! And it’s not really much of a bruschetta, except for the nice refreshing tomato on a buttery shrimp paste on toast. But ya know what, it’s good with that slice of toast and tomato.
Oh, make sure the bread’s strong enough to hold up a hefty and dense layer o’ shrimp. If it’s too soft (like delicious Wonder bread), it’ll break apart, you’ll be sad, and you’ll hate us for forever.
2–4 SERVINGS
½ pound (any size) shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
¼ cup plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup plus ½ teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
2 pinches black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 stalks scallion, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
¼ ounce cilantro
2 tablespoons (~1 large egg) egg white
¼ teaspoon water
½ tablespoon cooking oil
6 slices white bread
Tomatoes, thinly sliced, for garnish
Cilantro, coarsely chopped, for garnish
BALLS OUT
40–80 SERVINGS
5 pounds (any size) shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
2½ cups plus 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
2½ cups plus 1⅔ tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
2½ teaspoons sugar
3⅓ tablespoons chicken bouillon
1¼ teaspoons black pepper
6⅔ tablespoons minced garlic
20 stalks scallion, minced
6⅔ tablespoons minced ginger
2½ ounces cilantro
1¼ cups (~10 large eggs) egg white
2½ teaspoons water
5 tablespoons cooking oil
60 slices white bread
1. Toss shrimp in a colander with ¼ cup salt and ¼ cup cornstarch. Massage shrimp, then rinse immediately under cold water. Gently squeeze to wring out excess water, pat dry, and transfer to a bowl.
2. Combine remaining cornstarch and salt with sugar, chicken bouillon, and black pepper in a separate bowl. Mix well, then toss with shrimp.
3. Drop that same shrimp in a food processor and sporadically pulse until mixture is between coarsely chopped and fine. Do not puree; that’s taking things waaay too far, kids. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
4. Next, add garlic, scallions, ginger, cilantro, egg whites, water, and oil. Mix well, using your hands until completely mixed in. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Once you’re good and ready, remove the shrimp “spread” from the fridge and spread evenly (<-key word) on a nice piece o’ bread. Don’t get heavy handed in the middle of the bread; everyone spreads it too thick in the middle, which prevents the spread from cooking evenly all around. Repeat until you have exhausted all of the shrimp spread.
6. Next, heat a pan with some oil on medium-high heat, sear the shrimp toast “spread” side down, cook through until evenly golden brown from edge to edge, then flip over to toast and crisp up the other side.
Plate and garnish with tomatoes, black pepper, and chopped cilantro, and cut into diagonal quarters for a nice appetizer or snack—the best shrimpy bruschetta of your life.
Even if you get yourself peeled, head-off, and deveined shrimp, we still recommend taking a moment to inspect the shrimp for a black vein across the back. If it’s there, use a knife to slit the back of the shrimp’s body along the vein and handily remove that slippery black sucker out.