Fresh shrimp with pork fat creates a juicy, tender paste to spread on springy milk bread. Pork fat, from the back or belly (not rendered, like lard), can be easily chopped after freezing until quite firm, about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
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1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro roots or stems (from 2 bunches), plus cilantro leaves for garnish
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6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
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1 teaspoon ground white pepper
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¾ teaspoon kosher salt
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12 ounces peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp
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10 ounces pork fat, chilled and finely chopped (about 2 cups)
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2 ½ teaspoons Thai seasoning sauce (such as Golden Mountain)
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1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
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15 (4- x 3 1/2- x 1/3-inch) Japanese milk bread or white bread slices, crusts removed, each slice cut diagonally into 2 triangles
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Neutral oil (such as grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil), for frying
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Mayonnaise (such as Kewpie), sriracha chile sauce, and fresh pea shoots, for serving
Description
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Process cilantro, garlic, white pepper, and salt in a food processor until finely chopped, about 15 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add shrimp and pork fat. Process until mixture forms a smooth paste, about 2 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in seasoning sauce and sugar.
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Spread 3/4 ounce (about 1 heaping tablespoon) shrimp mixture on each bread triangle in an even layer. Pour oil to a depth of 1/8 inch in a large skillet; heat over medium-high until shimmering. Working with 8 to 10 bread triangles at a time, fry bread, shrimp side down, until shrimp side is golden brown and shrimp is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip, and cook until bread is golden brown, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp toasts to a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat process with remaining bread triangles and shrimp mixture.
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Top shrimp toasts with mayonnaise and sriracha. Garnish with cilantro leaves and pea shoots. Serve hot.
