Chili Garlic Shrimp

Combine chili-garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, shrimp stock, tomato paste, mirin, sesame oil, 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, 1 clove minced garlic, shallot, and cilantro in a blender or small food processor. Pulse several times to chop, then purée, 30 to 45 seconds. Set sauce aside, or refrigerate until needed.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic and ginger slices. Cook until browned, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove garlic and ginger from the oil and discard.

To the seasoned oil, carefully add shrimp and cook until it just begins to turn pink and curl head to tail, about 2 minutes. Turn shrimp and add prepared sauce. Cook, stirring, until shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

Remove shrimp from the skillet and keep warm. Continue cooking and stirring sauce until thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup.

Pour thickened sauce over shrimp, and toss to cover.

Cook's Note:

To make shrimp stock, use about 1/2 teaspoon shrimp or seafood base with 1/3 cup water. You can also make your own by boiling shrimp shells in enough water to cover for about 15 minutes.