Simple Shrimp

Hot and Sour Shrimp... just like your favorite Chinese restaurant would make!

The recipe is inspired by the lovely folks at America's Test Kitchen. I have come to love their recipes, although sometimes they can be quite complicated. This one was very simple though and I was extremely happy with the results! Healthy, quick, perfectly cooked and flavored shrimp at home... what more could you ask for?

Ingredients

• 2 medium   garlic cloves, 1 pressed through garlic press, 1 thinly sliced
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• sprinkling of salt
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce (looks similar to Sriracha sauce on the label)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 large shallot, sliced thin
• 1/2 pound snow peas 
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

Method

1. Combine pressed garlic with shrimp, ginger, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp "marinate" at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, sesame oil, ketchup, and cornstarch in small bowl. Combine sliced garlic with shallot in second small bowl.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add snow peas and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to brown, 1½ to 2 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl.

4. Add remaining tablespoon oil to the empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add garlic-shallot mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are light pink on both sides, 1 to 1½ minutes. Whisk soy sauce mixture to recombine and add to skillet; return to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet, toss to combine, and serve with a side of white rice.