It's shrimpin time

On our way home today, we decided to make a quick run into Costco to get some gigantic shrimp. It was such a gorgeous day outside, and we both really wanted to break in the grill and start the grilling season early. The original plan was to grill them outside, I wanted to try making some sweet and spicy grilled shrimp. But by the time we got home, it was a little too dark to start up our Weber grill. So I figured, why not try out some salt and pepper shrimp in my new wok!

Using a wok is a great way to make healthy and quick after work type meals. However, it does take a few extra steps to prep the wok before using it for the first time. Before using your wok, first wipe the inside and outside of the pan with an oiled paper towel, then place the wok over high heat. Allow it to cool and repeat the process several times to give it a good coating -- this will make it easier to clean down the road and give it a good non-stick coating.

When using the wok, it's really important to get it to a very high temperature before adding the food. And you should work quickly and stir the food frequently once added to the wok. If you cook the ingredients for too long, this will cause them to either burn or be saturated with their own juices and become limp and soggy. And once you've finished making your delicious meal, simply clean the wok with soap and water and dry immediately.

Now back to the subject at hand, salt and pepper shrimp!

Ingredients:
1lb of large shrimp, de-veined and peeled
2.5 tbsp of kosher salt
4 cups luke-warm water
3 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp of sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely diced
2 scallions, chopped
1 Thai chili pepper, finely chopped

Wash the shrimp thoroughly under cold water. In a bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt with the 4 cups of luke warm water. Soak the shrimp in the salt water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

In a bowl, combine the rice flour, corn starch, black pepper, sugar, garlic and 2.5 tbsp of salt and thoroughly  mix. Add in the shrimp and make sure to thoroughly coat each piece. Set aside.

With the wok over high heat, add the oil and butter. Once the oil gets hot, add in the shallots and stir quickly for a few minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the chili peppers. Toss in the flour coated shrimp and stir quickly until the shrimp are pink and the flour has browned. Add in the scallions and garnish with more black pepper. Serve with a bowl of hot steaming brown rice, and enjoy the delicious and hardy meal.