Prawns on Toast is Hatosi in Cantonese

We made this Chinese takeaway favourite at home for a 'bring a plate party" last Sunday. Prawns on toast or hatosi ( 蝦多士), a loan word borrowed from English meaning prawns toast is a common appetizer in Australian Chinese finger food at parties. Many Chinese restaurants and takeaway shops especially in country towns in Australia serve this dish. Some also serve a variant made with minced prawns and water chestnut and sesame seeds, then cooked by baking or deep frying. I kept the prawns whole, just to keep the succulent texture of the green king prawns and also to reduces preparation time.

Prawns on Toast Recipe.
1 kg green king prawns
2 eggs
5 tbsp cornflour or potato flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
10 slices of sandwich bread
3 cups oil for frying
a small bunch of parsley leaves.




Shell prawns, leaving the tails intact. Cut down back of prawn with a sharp knife and remove back vein. Flatten prawn by pressing gently on the board. Combine beaten eggs with cornflour, salt and pepper and add prawns. Mix and coat well and leave to marinate for 10 minutes. Remove crusts from bread and cut the the bread in half. Put one prawn of each piece of bread, gently pressing prawn onto the bread and apply a little of the cornflour mixture to adhere a parsley leave onto the prawn. Heat oil in wok and gently slide the prawns into the hot oil. Cook only until bread is golden and prawn cooked through. Drain well and place prawns of toast on paper towel. Serve hot with sweet chili sauce.