Dateline: November 15, 2021 I am back in the saddle, again Spicy Szechwan Shrimp

To all my friends and others who have found this blog:

When I last wrote it was way back in August, 2021.  Since then, I have broken my ankle, and was out of commission for quite some time.  I had to have surgery to put the bits of my fibula back into place and I have a ton of hardware in my right ankle that will set off airport scanners from now on.  I am able to walk without a limp, but my ankle does tire after a long day of walking, especially if there are stairs, going down stairs is still tough.

I will back-post today starting in November and move forward.  Mid November is when I began to have the strength in my leg to be able to stand at the stove and kitchen counter.

Spicy Szechwan Shrimp

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 T shaoxing wine

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t ground szechwan pepper corns (measured after grinding)

Neutral cooking oil

1 onion, halved and sliced through the root end

1 bell pepper of any color

Green leafy veg of any kind, I used tuscan kale, chopped into bit-sized ribbons

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 inch piece of ginger, scraped and cut into thin match stick pieces

1 - 2 T Pixian Chili paste, depending on your spice level

1 T Shao xing wine or dry sherry

1 t light soy sauce

1 t dark soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

1 t sugar, optional

Sesame Oil, optional

Method

1.  In a small bowl or plate mix cornstarch, salt, pepper, and szechwan pepper together and hold.  In another small bowl, put cleaned shrimp and 1 T shaoxing wine and mix together and marinate for 10 minutes or so.

2.  Remove shrimp from marinade and add a few at a time to the  cornstarch mixture.  Coat well and place on a rack over a sheet pan to dry out a bit.  Continue until all the shrimp have been coated.  If you need more of the cornstarch mixture, make some more!

3.  Add 2 T cooking oil into a cold wok and then heat.  Stir fry a small number of shrimp at a time.  I found 6 -7 were all that my wok could handle without cooling the oil too much.  You want the shrimp to be crispy, but not over cooked.  Add more oil to the wok as needed to fry the remaining shrimp.  Remove shrimp to the rack over the sheet pan and hold until the veggies are cooked.  

4.  Cut veggies for stir fry and assemble your mis-en-place near the wok or frying pan.  Wipe out wok and add 2 T neutral oil.  Add the onions, ginger, and peppers to the wok and stir fry for about 30-40 secs, then add the garlic and leafy greens.  When the greens have wilted add the chili paste, shaoxing, light soy, dark soy, and rice wine and mix well.  If you need some liquid, add some stock or water to your pan.  Add the shrimp back in and cook to coat everything with the spicy paste.

5.  Serve with rice.