There’s an appetizer that I rarely see on menus at Asian restaurants, but if I do see it, I almost always order it: Shrimp Toasts. Typically a street food snack, I updated my homemade version to use canned crab rather than fresh shrimp. These crab toasts are easy to make and SO delicious.
If you’ve never had these, you don’t know what you’re missing!
What are Fried Toasts?
If you haven’t had fried toasts before, the most common type is shrimp toasts. They are traditionally a Cantonese street food, but many cultures have made riffs on them. Usually these toasts include a nice, buttery piece of sandwich bread, some sort of shrimp mixture with spices and cornstarch and sesame, which is then quick-fried until golden brown.
Frying sandwich bread is kind of an odd idea and I was worried that they would get super-oily, but as long as your oil is hot enough, it works out great.
What kind of crab to use for these
Since we are kind of mashing this all together for these crab toasts, I wouldn’t bother with using lump crab meat, which can be very expensive. Instead, I would just get canned white crab meat, which is usually $4-$5 for a 6 ounce can.
I wouldn’t use imitation crab meat which can be stringy and just won’t mix well or stick to the bread.
How to make the crab filling
This is a very easy crab mixture to make.
Make sure to drain your crab really well and press out the liquid so it is nice and dry. Then stir it in with the soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and corn starch. If it is too watery, add more cornstarch until the mixture will hold its shape.
What bread works best for these toasts
When it comes to the bread for these toasts, white sandwich bread works best. Don’t use sourdough or something too crusty.
Potato bread works really well if you have that but any plain white, soft sandwich bread will work.
Cut the edges off the bread and then cut them into triangles.
Tips for making these crab toasts
These are pretty straightforward to make.
Smear about 1 tablespoon of crab mixture onto the bread and really press it into the bread so it sticks. Then sprinkle on some sesame seeds or everything seasoning.
MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Make sure your oil is hot! It needs to be in the 350-375˚F range or else the bread will absorb too much oil.
Fry these toasts with the crab side down first and then flip them. They will only need 1-2 minutes per side to get golden brown.
When these crab toasts come out of the fry oil, let them drain on a paper towel for a few minutes. They will be super crispy and delicious!
Substitutions
Here are some substitution ideas!
If you want to make traditional shrimp toasts, chop up about 6-8oz. of fresh, peeled shrimp and then mix together the same mixture.
For a creamy toast, add 2-3 ounces of cream cheese to the filling.
To make a dumpling out of these, use the same filling and stuff it in a wonton wrapper before frying.
IS anyone else a big shrimp toast fan? I love this updated crab toast twist on the classic. Let me know if you try them!
Fried Crab Toasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces crab meat
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 4 scallions, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 8 slices sandwich bread, potato bread
- 1 quart neutral oil, for frying
- Everything seasoning, or sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add enough oil to a large cast iron skillet (or fry-safe skillet) so you have about 1 1/2 inches of oil in the skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350-275˚F.
- In a small bowl, stir together drained crab meat, egg white, soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and cornstarch. If mixture is too watery and doesn't hold together, add another 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
- Cut the edges off the sandwich bread and cut each piece into two triangles. Spread about a tablespoon of crab mixture onto each bread triangle. Top each piece with a sprinkle of everything seasoning (or just sesame seeds).
- When oil is hot, carefully fry toasts, starting with crab side down, for about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove when well-browned and let the toasts drain on a few paper towels.
- Eat while warm.
