Menbosha is a shrimp toast with minced shrimp sandwiched between two soft white breads that is deep fried for a crispy outside and soft chewy inside. It’s a Korean-Chinese dish that became very popular on Korean cooking TV shows over the last few years and through celebrity chef Lee Yeon Bok’s restaurant in Seoul.
The first time I had menbosha was in Korea at his restaurant which is very difficult to reserve. My friend in Korea called multiple times for us to help book a reservation. Since it was our first time ever having the dish it seemed very unique but as he’s shown how to make it on several TV shows, it’s actually very simple to make! It only takes a few simple ingredients. You don’t need fancy bread or shrimp and it will still be delicious! You will need to mince some shrimp, spread it between two slices of bread and deep fry. The sauce also brings in a nice sweet touch. Makes for a nice party food appetizers or a hefty snack. Enjoy!
Menbosha (Fried Shrimp Toast) inspired by Lee Yeon Bok Chef
Ingredients
- 6 slices bread
- 400 g shrimp about 30 large shrimp
- 2 Tbsp starch corn starch or potato starch
- 1 egg white
- Salt and black pepper
- ½ tsp chicken stock powder optional
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Oil for frying
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp vinegar I used rice vinegar
- ½ Tbsp minced garlic
- ½ Tbsp sugar optional
Instructions
- Cut the edges of the bread, as close to the ends as possible. Cut the bread in half vertically, and horizontally; into 4 pieces per bread slice. Set aside.
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Cut the tail off.
- Finely chop the shrimp.Chef Lee smashes the shrimp using the flat side of a large chopping knife. I found this too hard and chopped it continuously.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped shrimp, 2 T starch, egg white, salt, pepper, 1 T oil, 1 T melted butter, and optional ½ t chicken stock powder if using. Mix well. It’s easiest to wear a kitchen glove, and mix with your hands.
- Make a round shape with your hand or using a round Tbsp measuring spoon. Place it onto one side of the sliced bread. Repeat for half of the slices. Place the other half of the slices on top. Lightly press down (not too much to make the filling come out of the sides).
- Preheat oil to 320 F degrees. Fry until both sides are lightly golden brown. Set aside on a sieve to let the oil drip. Repeat until all the toasts are fried.
- Double fry. Heat oil to 350 F degrees. Fry each side of the toast for about 10 seconds each. Set aside.
Make the sauce
- Place all the ingredients together and mix well.
Serve
- Enjoy warm! Dip the toast into the sauce.
Hi
I really enjoyed trying your recipes after I found your site last year. Glad to see you are back. I have a shrimp allergy so I will pass on this one. But looking forward to more delicious recipes!