Most of the countries in Southeast Asia and regions of in China bordering the ocean have their own version of these tasty toast morsels. Fresh shrimp are ground to a paste, combined with local flavors and spread over white bread before cooking. Vietnam’s unique version shows a distinct French influence with the use toasted bread and butter.

Vietnamese Shrimp Toasts- Banh Mi Tom Quet Nuong

These hors d'oeuvres make for a delicious party appetizer. They originated in China but were adapted by Vietnamese cooks by adding the defining flavors of the country. They are traditionally deep fried and tough to make without them becoming greasy. MHT has updated the recipe so they can be baked in the oven while honoring the original recipe.

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Course: Appetizer, Hand Food

Cuisine: Southeast Asian, Vietnam

Prep Time: 1 50

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 2 35

Servings: Toasts

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Food processor
Large baking pan (nonstick preferred)
Colander
Medium bowl

Ingredients

12 slices White bread
1 lb. Shrimp, completely peeled and deveined
½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more for refreshing shrimp
1 tsp Cornstarch
½ tsp Sugar
⅛ tsp Black pepper
2 clove Garlic, minced
1 large Egg, separated
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
3 tbsp Scallion, chopped
3 tbsp Butter, melted
½ tsp Water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep – Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Remove crusts from bread and slice into 4 triangles each. Place shrimp in a colander set in the sink and salt generously. After 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly and squeeze dry with paper towels. Separate egg yolk from egg white. Create an egg wash by combining egg yolk and water in a small bowl.
Place bread triangles on a baking tray and bake until dry but not browned, around 20 – 30 minutes. Let cool. Increase oven temp to 350°F (175°C).
Assemble – In a food processor, combine shrimp, salt, cornstarch, sugar, pepper, egg white, and oil. Pulse to form a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl and mix in scallion.
Butter the baking pan. Spread a ¼-inch of the shrimp paste over the less-toasted side a bread triangle. Spread should be equal in thickness to the bread. Place each toast on the buttered baking pan. Repeat until all done.
Cook and serve –Brush tops of triangles with egg wash. Bake the toasts until shrimp paste turns pink and bottoms are toasted, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven to cool for 5 minutes then serve warm with Nuoc Cham and lettuce leaves.