shrimp scampi toast

a fun little shrimpy snack you can make in 15 minutes

it doesn’t happen very often, but this was an idea that, once it entered my mind, wouldn’t leave it. it basically demanded i drop everything else i was working on and run to the grocery store (or stores, because.. berlin) and then immediately get to work in the kitchen. the result was pretty much inhaled and fantastic on the first go, but after a few more tests and tweaks, it ended up even better.

this idea came to me out of the blue, although i’m sure it was spurred by something. the recipe name—shrimp scampi toast—popped spontaneously into my mind as i was falling asleep one evening (my best ideas tend to come at that time, and according to google’s ai overview in answer to my prompt lol, i’m not the only one). as you probably guessed, it’s a mingling of two popular shrimp dishes, shrimp scampi and shrimp toast, using the technique of shrimp toast—make shrimp paste, load it up on bread, fry, serve—and pairing it with the flavors of shrimp scampi—garlic, lemon, white wine, butter. it really does make one delicious shrimpy mash-up, and the best part is that it takes less than 15 minutes to put together.

i generally see this dish sitting somewhere between an appetizer and a snack, but having eaten it for lunch three times over the past week, i think there actually may be a good argument for serving it as a simultaneously fast and luxurious little midday meal. so take your pick.

please notice and appreciate my fish plates, i love them.

if you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the ingredients together by hand then mix them thoroughly in a bowl until the paste sort of emulsifies and holds its shape, but a food processor is really what makes this dish so quick and easy.

for the bread, i used a thick slices of plush and crusty sourdough and managed to split all of the filling between just four pieces. i piled it on thick, but the bread was sturdy enough to hold it and the paste wasn’t so thick that it wasn’t able to cook properly without burning first. these are factors that will differ depending on the bread you choose to use. i think slices of baguette, ciabatta (as long the holes aren’t too big) or even the shrimp toast classic white sandwich bread would all work, you’ll just have to feel out how many slices you’re going to need for all of the filling and note that the cook time for each side may vary.

if you end up with leftover filling and don’t want to use it all right away, you can save the shrimp paste in an airtight container (i would suggest a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the paste, too) for about 24 hours. i put my leftovers in a little plastic piping bag (i guess i’m bougie like that?) and piped it onto the bread the following day to great success.

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this time last year:

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shrimp scampi toast

serves 2 as a hearty snack or lunch, 4 as an appetizer

for the shrimp paste

225 grams peeled, deveined shrimp (i generally prefer between 21/25 and 31/35 count shrimp, but you could go as small as 41/50 count or even smaller if that’s all you have, since most will be processed into a paste anyway)

one handful fresh parsley

1 scallion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine (optional; if skipping, up the olive oil to 1 full teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper, plus more for serving

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 large egg white

for assembly and serving

4 thick slices bread (see my note on bread above)

vegetable oil for frying

salted butter, flaky salt, lemon wedges for serving

1. add 175 grams shrimp, a handful of fresh parsley, 1 scallion, 2 peeled cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 large egg white to a food processor and pulse until smooth and emulsified. when you use a spatula to scoop some out, it should generally hold it’s shape and not fall too quickly off the spatula; if it does, pulse it a bit more.

2. chop the remaining 50 grams shrimp by hand into slightly smaller than bite-sized pieces then mix through the paste. divide the paste evenly between the slices of bread, using the back of a spatula to spread the mixture evenly from edge to edge; don’t be afraid to pile it high, as long as the bread can handle the weight.

3. heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat; you’ll want to use as much as you need to coat the bottom of your pan with about 1/8-inch/3 mm of oil. once the oil is shimmering, fry the slices shrimp side-down until golden brown, about 4 minutes; you may need to do this in batches.

4. once golden brown, flip and fry on the other side until the bread is golden brown, about 3 more minutes. transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain briefly.

5. to serve, spritz with plenty of fresh lemon, top with a small pat of salted butter and finish a little bit of black pepper and some flaky salt. slice the pieces in halves, quarters or fingers as desired and enjoy immediately.