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Sautéed Sesame Shrimp and Spinach
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
 
Sautéed Sesame Shrimp with Spinach is an easy dinner that creates moist and crispy shrimp. This recipes features brining the shrimp in salt and water to produce succulent, crispy and squeaky shrimp. Use this brining technique whenever you want to stir-fry or sauté shrimp. This recipe is very slightly adapted from Martha Rose Shulman recipe Stir-fry Sesame Shrimp with Spinach from New York Times Cooking
Servings: 3 -4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb large shrimp
  • About 2 tea Kosher salt divided, plus more for seasoning
  • 2 Tbs canola oil or light sesame oil
  • 1/8 tea sugar
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger minced
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tea dried red chili flakes
  • 2 Tbs sesame seeds toasted
  • 1 lb cleaned fresh spinach stems trimmed
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or water, or stock (optional)
  • About 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
  • 1/4 of a preserved lemon diced (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place the peeled shrimp in a colander and rinse with water. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoon of Kosher salt all over the shrimp and carefully toss the shrimp for one minute. After a minute, rinse the shrimp with water. Repeat the whole process one more time.
  2. Combine about 1/4 teaspoon of salt with the sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Heat a large skillet or sauté pan, large enough to accommodate 1 lb of spinach, to very hot but just shy of smoking. Add 2 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl the oil around to cover the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and chili flakes to the pan and very briefly sauté. Stir the ingredients around so that they do not burn.
  5. Add the shrimp and spread evenly across the pan in one layer. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for about 1 minute. After one minute, stir the shrimp around and sauté for one minute more.
  6. Add the sesame seeds and spinach and carefully stir to evenly cook the spinach for about a minute. Add the sugar/salt mixture and just shy of a 1/4 cup of dry white wine, (if using). Stir the spinach and scrape off any brown goodies stuck the bottom of the pan.
  7. Continue to cook until the spinach is wilted, and the shrimp is just cooked through and pink. About 2 more minutes.
  8. Add the preserved lemon, if using, then drizzle the dark sesame oil over the whole dish. Toss and serve with your favorite grain like rice or couscous.
Recipe Notes

I made this dish with chard and enjoyed it just as well. If you decide to use chard instead of spinach, remove the shrimp from the pan after the first 2 minutes of cooking, and set aside on a plate. The chard will take longer to cook, especially if you are using the stems. When the chard is cooked through, add the shrimp back in the pan and continue to cook until the shrimp is just cooked through.

 

How to make Shrimp Stock Add the shells from 1 lb of shrimp to a medium sauce pan and gently sauté on medium high heat. Once the shells have turned pinkish and no longer translucent, add water into the saucepan to cover the shrimp shells about 2 inches. Add some aromatics to the shrimp and water, such as celery, parsley and a bay leaf, then cook the stock at a simmer for about one hour. Drain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and dispose of the shrimp shells and aromatics. Cool the shrimp stock and refrigerate and use within a couple of days or freeze the stock. The stock should keep well in the freezer for 3 months. Makes about 3 cups of stock.