Shrimp Toast

Shrimp Toast

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp
4 ounces pork fat
2 egg white
1 teaspoon rice wine -- or dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger -- minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
10 slices white bread
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons ham -- minced (optional)
3 quarts oil -- for deep-frying
-----Peppersalt (Optional)-----
1/4 cup Szechuan Peppercorns
1/4 cup Salt


Instructions:

Shell and devein shrimp. Rinse and pat dry with a
paper towel.Flatten each shrimp with the broad
side of a cleaver to make chopping easier.

Use cleaver to finely chop shrimp and pork fat.

Combine chopped pork fat and shrimp; chop to
a fine paste. Place shrimp paste in a medium bowl.

Use a spooon or your hands to mix shirmp paste
with egg white, wine, salt, ginger root and
cornstarch; set aside.

Remove crusts from bread. Cut each slice into
4 squares. Mound 1 rounded teaspoon shrimp paste
on each square of bread and press gently.

Garnish with sesame seeds and minced ham, if desired.
Heat 6 cups oil in a wok over high to 350 degrees F
(175 degrees C).

Reduce heat to medium. Carefully lower bread squares
shrimp-side down into hot oil with a slotted metal spoon.

Deep-fry 4 or 5 at a time until edges of bread turn
golden, about 1 min. Turn each bread and cook
other side 30 secs.

Remove from oil with slotted spoon; drain on paper
towels.

Repeat with remaining bread squares. Serve hot.

Sprinkle with Peppersalt, if desired.


Peppersalt Instructions:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat 1 min.
Add peppercorns and stir-fry 5 mins.Remove saucepan
from heat and let cool. Grind peppercorns into a
fine powder with a mortar and pestle or pepper grinder.

Add salt; mix well. Store in a tightly convered container.

Makes about 1/4 cup.

Notes: Makes 20 pieces. To serve 20 with 2 pieces
each I've scaled this to 40