Popo’s Chinese Feast
I had always heard about Popo June Tong, but never really knew the talent this generous lady has. Before she came on the show, she invited producer Frank Abraham and me over to her house for dinner. She cooked up a feast of all her Chinese local favorites.
Author of her own cookbooks, she shared how Hawaii has so many influences from the Chinese introduced during the plantation days. One of her most popular recipes, “Shrimp Toast,” is award-winning, in my book, and a very simple dish to cook. Bring this to the next potluck to wow your friends.
POPO JUNE TONG’S SHRIMP TOAST
For Toast:
* 4 slices white bread, crust trimmed, cut into triangles
For Shrimp Filling:
* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1/4 pound bacon, minced
* 1/4 pound ground pork
* 1/4 cup minced water chestnuts
* 1/4 cup minced Chinese parsley
* 1 egg white
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 2 cups oil, for frying
Combine shrimp filling ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for two hours.
Place filling on bread and mound firmly onto each slice.
Heat oil to 350 degrees and fry shrimp toast face-down for one minute. Turn and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Watch Popo June Tong this week on “Cooking Hawaiian Style” on OC16 channels 12 and 1012 at the following times: Monday: 2 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Tuesday: 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday: 4:30 a.m.; Thursday: 9:30 a.m.; Friday: noon; Saturday: 5 p.m.; Sunday: 2:30 and 8 p.m. Visit CookingHawaiianStyle.com for more of Popo’s recipes.
