Garlic Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry

Every once in a while, any food-passionate chef enjoys some success with a recipe. He or she has an almost transcendental experience. For someone like me who thoroughly enjoys the cooking, the menu planning, the mis en place...even the shopping...it isn't often that I relish the outcome. And when it comes to Asian cuisine, my favorite food, my ratio of self satisfaction to disgusted disappointment is high. I am often frustrated with the final product. In the case of this dish, I was more than pleased and proud with how it turned out...Loretta echoed my elation last night as well, although I was very judicious with the chili sauce for her sake.

I combined several elements from different recipes (borrowed) from many sources. In the end, it is a very savory, Thai-inspired dish that will make you wonder why you still go to Panda Express or any other MSG-laden Asian take out. The ingredients are all fresh. Unlike many restaurants of this type, it utilizes fresh garlic and ginger (not powder or other manufactured seasonings and shortcuts). The fresh chopped green onions and cilantro as a garnish perfectly finishes the dish. The garlic shrimp sauce is slightly sweet and sour. Add more garlic if you're so inclined.

You can make it more Thai-like by adding more heat such as sambal chile sauce or fresh or dried chile peppers. I will try adding some lemon grass the next time I prepare it. As with any cooking adventure, a true foodie "fiddles" with the recipe to suit their tastes.

One bit of advice, besides the mis en place thing, is to make sure your stir fry vegetables are not cooked too much...keep them crisp...and serve it right away.

With any multi-ingredient recipe such as this, you must mis en place all the elements before you begin to cook, ie, get everything cut up and ready to go before turning on the heat. You’ll notice there is no salt or pepper in this recipe since it uses soy sauce, therefore, salt is probably unnecessary.

1 pound large shrimp (21-25), peeled
2 tablespoons canola oil

Shrimp Sauce:
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
4 garlic gloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon or more sambal or other chili sauce (depending on amount of heat desired)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Stir Fry Vegetables:
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup sliced water chesnuts
2 cups broccoli florets, blanched for 1 minute, then put in ice bath
1 cup red bells, julienned
1 cup green bells, julienned
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 cup white or yellow onions, sliced
2 tablespoons green onions, diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Vegetable Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon sesame oil

In a small saucepan, mix the chicken broth, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sherry, garlic, ginger, sugar, and sambal. Stir well. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Keep warm.

In a wok, canola oil to 275 degrees (not smoking). Add shrimp and stir fry just until they turn pink. Add garlic sauce and toss well with shrimp. Remove from wok and set aside. Rinse out wok, return to high heat.

Add canola oil. When oil is hot, add the vegetables and stir fry until al dente. Add vegetable sauce, stir until sauce thickens and coats vegetables. Add sesame oil.

Serve shrimp and sauce on white basmati or rice of your choice. Plate vegetables along side and garnish all with green onions and fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.

Remember...no soggy vegetables! Bon Appetit.

Sorry, no photos this time. We were too anxious to eat it!