Stir-Fried Ginger Shrimp

Serves 2

These are wonderfully messy shrimp that were meant to be eaten with fingers, chopsticks or forks. Since this stir-fry is so good cold on a salad of mixed greens, I've provided for leftovers in the recipe.

Allow 30 minutes to an hour for marinating and 3 to 4 minutes for stir-frying. Eat the shrimp hot from the pan or warm.

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine, or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon Chinese toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 packed teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice or cider vinegar
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp, shelled with tail section left intact
• 3 tablespoons cold-pressed vegetable or seed oil (safflower, canola or peanut)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large whole scallion, thinly sliced

1. Thirty minutes to an hour before cooking, combine the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a medium bowl. Toss with the shrimp, cover and refrigerate.

2. Take the shrimp from refrigerator and scrape off the marinade, saving it in the bowl. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Drop in the shrimp, quickly sprinkle with a little salt and a generous amount of pepper. Stir fry about 3 minutes, or until they just turn pink and are barely firm. Don't overcook!

4. Scrape the marinade from the bowl into the wok and add the scallions. Continue stir frying another minute, or until shrimp are just firm, but not hard and rubbery. Immediately turn into a serving bowl Serve hot or warm.

Steamed Rice with Bok Choy

Use any recipe for cooking rice. Five minutes before the rice is done, fold in some chopped bok choy or Napa cabbage.