Spicy Orange Shrimp

Last week when I made the fresh pea risotto with spicy grilled shrimp, I realized that it had been a while since I had done much of interest with shrimp and all of a sudden I was starting to feel shrimp withdrawal symptoms. Luckily I had just the idea to satisfy the cravings in the form of this spicy orange shrimp. I had been thinking about doing a shrimp dish with orange and some Asian flavours for a while and it was the perfect time to try it. I kept the recipe nice and simple with just a few basic ingredients. Oranges can have a fairly subtle flavour so the idea is to season the sauce without overpowering the flavours of the orange. Basically you want to balance the flavour of the orange with a bit of saltiness from the soy sauce, some tang from the vinegar, a touch of sweetness from the honey and some spicy chili heat. The net result is a dish of succulent shrimp covered in a sauce with the aroma and flavour of oranges that just dances on your tongue. I made these shrimp as more of an appetizer but you could easily turn this into a meal by adding a few vegetables and maybe some cashews and serving it on rice or noodles.

Spicy Orange Shrimp

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 tablespoon garlic (grated)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
1 orange (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chili sauce (or to taste)
1 handful cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side and set aside.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice wine, honey and chili sauce, deglaze the pan and simmer to reduce to a sauce like consistency.
5. Remove from heat and mix in the shrimp and cilantro.

Similar Recipes:
Thai Lemon Shrimp
Orange Chipotle Shrimp
Tequila Lime Shrimp
Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp (Tom Rim)
Orange Chicken