Crisp and savory, hatoshi ¡ª minced shrimp paste sandwiched between slices of deep-fried bread ¡ª is a Nagasaki version of a classic Cantonese treat.
The dish was introduced to Nagasaki during the late 19th century, when culinary influences from China, then under the reign of the Qing dynasty, filtered through the port city and helped shape the region¡¯s food culture. Its name is actually a phonetic approximation of the Cantonese terms for ¡°shrimp¡± (¡°ha¡±) and ¡°toast¡± (¡°doshi¡±).
Hatoshi was originally part of shippoku ry¨ri, a style of banquet cuisine served at Chinese-style round tables. (This traditional cuisine is still practiced at some high-end restaurants in Nagasaki.) Today, hatoshi is a popular snack enjoyed at home and as street food.
The recipe below gives hatoshi an umami boost by adding XO sauce, a rich condiment that originated in Hong Kong in the 1980s. Despite its name, it contains no cognac ¡ª the ¡°XO¡± references brandy for its luxurious connotations at the time ¡ª but rather a mix of minced dried seafood, such as fish, shrimp and scallops, simmered with garlic, onions, chili peppers and aged ham.
I went heavy on the scallops for this recipe, but feel free to adjust the protein proportions to your taste. The mousse-like filling incorporated into the shrimp paste uses only egg white; for extra decadence, mix the yolks with the XO sauce to make a richer dipping condiment.
The fried bread can be flat, rolled or folded, depending on your preference.
Serves 2
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 50 grams raw prawns or shrimp
- 75 grams scallops, whites only
- 50 grams dry-cured Japanese ham
- 2 eggs, whites separated
- 2? grams salt
- 2? grams black pepper
- 25 milliliters Kewpie mayonnaise
- 4 to 6 slices shokupan bread, crusts removed
- 25 milliliters rice bran oil (more, if needed)
Directions:
- Remove the heads and shells from the prawns or shrimp and devein.
- Add the shrimp, scallop whites and ham to a food processor. Blend with the egg whites, salt and pepper and mayonnaise until smooth.
- Decide whether to prepare your hatoshi as sandwiches, open-faced sandwiches or rolls.
- For sandwiches, divide the paste evenly among three slices of bread, spreading it to their edges. Top each with another slice of bread.
- For open-faced sandwiches, spread the paste evenly over four slices of bread.
- For rolls, flatten the bread with a rolling pin or bottle if needed, then spread on the paste and roll tightly.
- Preheat a frying pan with oil over medium heat. Fry the sandwiches or rolls on all sides until evenly golden and crisp, adding more oil as needed.
- Place the egg yolks in dipping bowls and cover with XO sauce. Break the yolk and mix before dipping.
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