Shrimp Toast (Ha Toe See)

PREPARATION: Leave bread out on a platter for 2 hours to dry. Trim crusts and cut each slice into 4 squares. Shell, devein and clean shrimp. Mince them into a fine, pulp like paste. Chop pork fat and water chestnuts until fine. Then mix with shrimp, green onions, salt, sherry, cornstarch and beaten egg. Mix well and spread mixture on the bread, making a slight mound on each piece. Sprinkle sesame seeds and paprika on the filling and press lightly so they adhere to the mixture. COOKING: Heat 4 cups of oil in the wok. Drop bread, shrimp side down, into oil and fry for 30 seconds. Turn and fry on the other side for another 30 seconds. (This is estimated time, since it depends on how hot the oil is. Use your judgment.) Both sides should be golden. Drain on paper towel and serve hot. DO AHEAD NOTES: Deep fry bread and mixture until it becomes a light beige color, then cool and freeze. To reheat, preheat oven at 350 degrees, place frozen toast in a single layer on a cookie sheet and heat for 12 minutes. If toast already is thawed, reheat for 5 to 6 minutes. The toast will become a deeper brown as its reheated. COMMENTS: Another way to serve this toast is by cutting each piece of bread diagonally into 2 triangles and spread on mixture. Top with a halved prawn in a lemon twist fashion and deep fry as usual. Arrange toast on a round platter, pin wheel fashion. Top with cherry tomatoes or parsley sprigs in the center of the pinwheel. Source: "Dim Sum" by Rhoda Fong Yee. Formatted for MM by Karen Adler FNGP13B. Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #174 Date: 29 Jul 96 11:20:56 From: "steven.h.bergstein" <steven.h.bergstein@ac.com>