You can thank my husband Rory for this article. I was gone from the house for a couple days last week for work and when I returned home, Rory reported that he’d seen a Gulf shrimp sale at the market. “They’re the big, tasty ones you like. They’re $12.99 a pound till Sunday,” he added. I was sold. We don’t eat as much shrimp as we used to because they’re not as good as they used to be, may not be responsibly procured, and the delicious ones are relatively expensive.
As a result, we consume fewer of them, which in the scheme of things, is a good thing. To my best ability, I try to choose sustainable shrimp. I also avoid easy-peel shrimp that are pre-deveined because the flavor is flabby. Shrimp is now a special event kind of food for us so I like to savor them in simple shrimp dishes like this one.
When using big shrimp, I keep the shells on to maintain moisture and boost flavor. To devein them, Rory used scissors to cut through the back shell and flesh. (If you’re super neat, trim the feet too.) Then he removed the vein underneath; that vein is the alimentary canal and it’s sometimes clear and sometimes dark. I don’t remove the grayish vein on the belly side, which I think is part of the shrimp nervous system. After that, it’s a quick rinse and pat with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Whether the shrimp are grilled or wok-seared like these, I rub in the seasonings. My intention on Saturday was to create a simplified version of salt-and-pepper shrimp. To that end, the shrimp were seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, a touch of sugar and cornstarch. The starch prevents weeping and creates a bit of stickiness later on to help the final seasonings (garlic, more S&P, chiles and cilantro) adhere.
All of that prep took about 5 minutes. He worked on the shrimp and I gathered the seasonings. Then it was time to heat up the wok.
The beauty of wok cooking is that you can heat it up super hot and sear quickly. I only cook enough shrimp to arrange in the wok in a single layer. There’s no oil used during the searing.
After the shrimp have curled up a bit and show signs of pinky-orange color and browning, I flip them to cook the other side – a little shorter than the first side. Then the shrimp are transferred to a plate.
The final cooking is with a little oil and on lower heat to prevent the aromatics from burning. After the garlic and chile have opened up, the shrimp return for their final cooking along with the remaining seasonings. When we eat the shrimp, I suck on the shells to get some seasonings then I peel and remove the shrimp flesh. I hope that’s not too much information but it’s a fabulous way to enjoy shrimp.
Typically this dish involves frying the shrimp in lots of oil, but I didn’t feel like it this weekend. The result of my laziness is lighter and admittedly not as crunchy. On the other hand, these shrimp were huge and I wouldn’t want to swallow their hard shells. If you like eating the shells, use smaller shrimp with white shells. Maybe even head on shrimp (trim their sharp, spear-like tips).
[P.S. I've also been trying to de-clutter the site and make it mobile friendly. I'm a one-person operation. Thanks for your patience.]
RECIPE
Wok-seared Shrimp, Garlic and Chile
Yields 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (360 g) extra large shrimp
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon white pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Splash neutral oil, such as canola
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Use scissors to cut through the back shell and flesh of each shrimp. Use a paring knife to remove the vein underneath. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and white pepper. Taste and tweak to your liking; aim for a slightly mild flavor since you’ll hit it with flavor again later. Add the cornstarch. Add the shrimp. Use your hands to coat well, getting some of the seasonings into the back side.
- Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp, arranging them in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed for about 2 minutes, until the shrimp are partway cooked with some dark splotches on the underside. Flip and cook, undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes more –until just cooked through. The flesh should be white. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower the heat slightly, add the oil and garlic and chile. As soon as they’re aromatic, return the shrimp and any juices that may have leaked onto the plate. Sprinkle on more salt and white pepper, toss, flip and turn to coat. Add the cilantro and work the wok fast to coat the shrimp and wild the cilantro, about 15 seconds. Turn off the heat and transfer to a plate. Enjoy hot as finger food or with rice.
Related Post: Shrimp Buying Guide and Prep Tips
