Prawn toast (Mianbao xia)

Mianbao xia (Prawn toast)

Mianbao Xia (面包虾), also known as deep-fried breaded shrimp or shrimp toast, is a popular Chinese appetizer. It's a delicious blend of shrimp, garlic, and spices, spread onto bread, and then deep-fried to golden perfection. In this blog post, we'll explore how to make this savory treat step by step.

Ingredients:

- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 slices of white bread
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
- 1/4 cup of chopped scallions
- 2 cups of vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Prepare the shrimp: Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. In a bowl, combine the shrimp, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, minced ginger, and white pepper. Mix well and let marinate for 10-15 minutes.

2. Prepare the bread: Trim the crusts off the bread slices and cut them diagonally to form triangles.

3. Make the shrimp paste: In a food processor, pulse the marinated shrimp until it forms a paste. Add the cornstarch and scallions and pulse again until everything is well combined.

4. Assemble the mianbao xia: Spread a layer of the shrimp paste on each triangle of bread, making sure to cover it evenly.

5. Fry the mianbao xia: In a deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. Carefully add the shrimp toasts, paste-side down, into the hot oil. Fry for 2- 3 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the shrimp paste is cooked through. Flip the toasts and fry for an additional 1-2 minutes until the other side is also golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

6. Serve and enjoy: Serve the mianbao xia hot with your favorite dipping sauce, such as sweet chili sauce or soy sauce. Enjoy!

In conclusion, making mianbao xia is easy and can be done in just a few simple steps. This appetizer is sure to impress your guests with its crispy texture and flavorful filling. Don't forget to take pictures and share your mianbao xia creation on social media using the hashtag #mianbaoxia!