Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

 

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I’ve used this marinade several times for shrimp and boneless chicken and been totally wowed by it…it’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Not only that, it doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, it comes together quickly, and you only need fifteen to thirty minutes of marinating time.

For a pound of shrimp or chicken, coarsely chop three Fresno chiles and six garlic cloves then combine them in the food processor with an 1/8 of a cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, a teaspoon of kosher salt, and about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Run until smooth, then toss in a glass bowl with the peeled shrimp or chicken.  Cover and refrigerate. 

When you’re ready for dinner, heat a little bit of vegetable oil over high heat in a heavy pan.  When it starts to smoke, add the shrimp or chicken making sure to leave any excess marinade in the bowl. I also recommend stirring in a bunch of chopped basil after everything is cooked through and you’ve removed the pan from the heat.