Pepper Shrimp

WARNING!! The following recipe is rated H for Hot. Any hotter than this, and this pepper shrimp recipe would be banned for inducing spontaneous combustion LOL!! hahaha.

Pepper shrimp is a recipe that has been influenced by our Chinese heritage on the island, but like all other trini recipes, this one has evolved to a more trini style chinese recipe in our main stream trini cooking. First of all the method is a little different (at least how we do it is!) to traditional chinese cooking. How I like to put it, is that it starts of chinese but by the end of its cooking the pepper shrimp becomes Trini.

What I would like to think makes Pepper Shrimp very Trini is the amount of ketchup that is used. If you know anything about the trini palate, you'll know that we love ketchup. Added to that, there is also the, distinctly trini, seasonings that we use: there's lots of chadon beni, chive and garlic.

Pepper shrimp is of course peppery and spicy and to me a bit lava-ish, but being done trini style makes it mouthwateringly delectable. It's like a love/ hate relationship or, as I would put it, a sweet/ hot relationship: you're seduced by the sweet exotic tasting sauce, only to be stung by the peppery end, but you can't stop now because the sauce already has you tootoolbay for more. :-)

For this Trinidad pepper shrimp recipe we're doing it with the shell on, so that the sauce could really soak into the shrimp. Of course you could do it without the shell: it's just a matter of preference. I am very aware that some people don't like to stop to take out the shell when enjoying this spicy shrimp delight. :-)

This trini style pepper shrimp is a sure winner in our kitchen and once you master it, it will be in yours too. It goes great as a side with fried rice and perhaps anything you could think of: probably with Hops bread too who knows! One thing for sure is that it would surely add some spice to your life! Here's pepper shrimp trinistyle. Enjoy!

PEPPER SHRIMP

1 lb shrimp
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 med. sweet pepper
1 small carrot
1 hot pepper
2 pimento peppers
2 cloves garlic, grated
4 leaves chadon beni, chopped
1 small onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lime juice
2 chives (divided), chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup ketchup
water

Devein the shrimp leaving the shell on.

Wash and drain

Season with ginger, pimento pepper, garlic, black pepper, chadon beni, lime juice, 1 chive and salt.

Take a fork and scour the sides of the carrot.

Note: We are doing this to make a pattern.

Cut the carrot into 1/8 " slices

Cut the onion in four.

Then cut each piece in half.

Separate the onion layers.

Cut up the hot pepper...

...and chive.

Heat the oil in the wok over a medium flame.

Add the hot pepper and fry for 1 minute.

Note: Frying hot pepper releases noxious fumes which can burn your eyes and make you cough and sneeze so be careful. I actually had to take the photograph quickly and run out of the kitchen but I still ended up with watery eyes and had an uncontrollable sneeze! (*sniff, sniff, Achoo!*) lol!

Add the shrimp and stir fry for 1 minute.

Add about 1/4 cup of ketchup, soy sauce and a little water...

Then add the onion, chive, sweet pepper and carrots

Add 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup water. Stir

Cover and simmer for 2 minutes

The pepper shrimp looks good now.
The water has reduced to the right consistency.

Garnish with a sprig of chive.

Now you know how to make trinistyle pepper shrimp. I hope it was a wonderful experience for you.

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See you next week with more trini recipes.


Ah gone! :-)

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