Shrimp is a versatile and easy to cook protein which can be used with a wide variety of sauces and cooking methods, so I consider it a great thing to have on hand along because it’s easy to turn a few kitchen staples plus shrimp into an easy, visually attractive meal.
In this case, I opted for a simple sweet and sour sauce. Typically, in addition to a source of sweetness (honey) and sour (rice vinegar), sweet and sour sauce includes something to spike the umami and often a thickening agent to make it adhere to the surface of the shrimp and vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb shrimp – Westerners often prefer them already shelled
- 1 medium onion, chopped (bite size pieces)
- 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (bite size pieces)
- 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped (bite size pieces)
- 1 cup honey
- 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp or so soy sauce
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- a few red chili flakes (optional)
- slurry of a few tsp of corn starch and just enough warm water to smoothly dissolve it
- a few tbsp of neutral cooking oil (canola, vegetable, peanut, etc.)
Defrost the shrimp and let them get close to room temperature.
In a saucepan, warm the honey and dissolve the lemon juice, soy sauce, and chili flakes if using. Lemon juice varies a lot in sourness, so adjust the lemon juice and soy sauce to taste, then salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add enough oil to coat well up the sides and swirl it around to assure an even coating.
When hot, add the onion and stir aggressively for two minutes or so. Add the green and red peppers and continue stirring agressively for a minute or two, until the vegetables are starting to show a little browning but are still crisp. Add the shrimp and continue to stir.
Add a few tsp of the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and stir in. After a minute or two it should start to thicken. By this time, the shrimp should be showing a bit of pink.
Add sauce to the shrimp and vegetables as desired (more if serving with rice, less if by itself). When the shrimp are almost done, remove from heat and serve.
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