SHRIMPS AND TOAST

Ingredients

• 1 lb small fresh shrimps, shelled (Ensure shrimps are fully shelled and patted dry before cooking to help them sear properly.)
• 0.5 lb thinly sliced bread (Use your preferred white or sandwich bread; it will be toasted, buttered, and cut into small cubes.)
• 0 to taste butter (Used to butter the toast after toasting. Use as much or as little as you prefer.)
• 0.5 lb water chestnuts (Fresh or canned water chestnuts both work. They will be briefly boiled then cut into cubes.)
• 1 small piece fresh ginger (Peel and finely chop the ginger before using. A small piece is roughly 1–2 cm (about half an inch).)
• 0 to taste pepper (Ground black or white pepper. Season according to your preference.)
• 0 to taste salt (Add gradually and taste as you go.)
• 0 to taste soy bean sauce (Known today as soy sauce. Add a small splash at a time and taste as you season.)
• 0 very little, to grease pan vegetable oil or lard (Use just enough to lightly coat the pan — approximately half a teaspoon. The original recipe specifies very little.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the water chestnuts in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 5 minutes until just tender but still firm. Drain and set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, cut them into small, roughly equal cubes about 1 cm in size.
2. 2Toast the thinly sliced bread in a toaster or under a grill until golden and crisp on both sides. While the toast is still warm, spread butter over each slice. Once buttered, cut the toast into small cubes — roughly 1–2 cm in size — and set aside. The cubes should be firm and crisp so they hold their shape when stirred into the dish later.
3. 3Peel the small piece of fresh ginger using the edge of a spoon or a knife. Finely chop the ginger into very small pieces and set aside. Finely chopped means the pieces should be as small as possible — about 1–2 mm — so the ginger distributes evenly through the dish without large chunks.
4. 4Heat a frying pan over the highest heat your hob allows until it is very hot — this is important for getting a good sear on the shrimps. Add just enough vegetable oil or lard to lightly grease the surface of the pan (roughly half a teaspoon). Add the shelled shrimps in a single layer. Cook, without stirring for the first 30–40 seconds, until the undersides turn pink and red. Then quickly toss or stir the shrimps just once or twice. As soon as all the shrimps have turned red and are cooked through (this should take no more than 1–2 minutes total), immediately remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate. Do not overcook — overcooked shrimps become rubbery.
5. 5Using the same hot frying pan (no need to add more oil), add the cubed water chestnuts. Stir-fry them over high heat for about 2 minutes until lightly golden and heated through. The residual oil and heat from cooking the shrimps is sufficient to fry the water chestnuts.
6. 6Return the cooked shrimps to the pan with the water chestnuts. Add the finely chopped ginger. Season with pepper, salt, and soy bean sauce to taste — start with a small pinch of each and a small splash of soy bean sauce, then taste and adjust. Stir everything together over the heat for about 1 minute to combine the flavours.
7. 7Add the buttered toast cubes to the pan with the shrimps and water chestnuts. Stir well to combine, making sure the toast cubes are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Serve immediately — the toast will begin to soften if left to sit, so this dish is best enjoyed straight from the pan.