Prepare Ahead:

Trim crust from the bread and tear bread into small pieces. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with the stock or water.

Shell the shrimp. With a small, sharp knife, make a shallow incision down their backs and lift out the intestinal vein with the point of the knife. Wash the shrimp under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. With a cleaver or sharp knife, chop the shrimp and pork fat together until they form a smooth paste.

In a bowl, combine the soaked bread, shrimp mixture, water chestnuts, salt, ginger and egg yolk, and mix thoroughly. Beat the egg white to a froth with a fork or whisk, and stir it into the shrimp mixture.

Have the shrimp mixture, a bowl of cold water, a baking pan lined with a double thickness of paper towels, and the oil within easy reach.

To Cook:

Preheat the oven to it's lowest setting. Pour 3 cups oil into a 12 inch wok or large deep-fat fryer and heat until a haze forms above it or it reaches 350 F. on a deep-frying thermometer. Take a handful of the shrimp mixture and squeeze your fingers ito a fist, forcing the mixture up between your thumb and forefinger. When it forms a ball about the size of a walnut, use a spoon to scoop off the ball and drop it in the hot oil. Repeat until you have made 6 to 8 balls, dipping the spoon into the bolw of cold water each time to prevent sticking. Turn them with a Chinese Strainer or slotted spoon to keep the balls apart as they fry. They should become golden in 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the balls to a heated platter and serve with roasted salt and pepper dip. As an hors d'oeuvre or part of a Chinese meal this will serve 6 to 8.