Name: Pan-Seared Shrimp with Fermented Black Beans, Ginger, and Garlic
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp , peeled, deveined, and tails removed; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 teaspoons vegetable oil , divided; 1 1/8 teaspoons sugar , divided; 2 scallions , white parts sliced thin, green parts sliced thin on bias; 1 tablespoon fermented black beans , rinsed, drained, and chopped coarse; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Why This Recipe Works

Shrimp are so small that it's hard to brown them before they overcook. We started by briefly salting them so that they retained moisture even as they were seared over high heat. Sprinkling sugar on the shrimp (patted dry after salting) and waiting to add the sugar until just before searing them boosted browning and underscored the shrimp's sweetness. To cook them, we arranged the shrimp in a single layer in a cold skillet (nonstick or carbon-steel to ensure that the flavorful browning would stick to the shrimp, not the pan) so that they made even contact with the surface. They heated up gradually with the skillet, so they didn't buckle and thus browned uniformly; slower searing also created a wider window for ensuring that they didn't overcook. Once the shrimp were spotty brown and pink at the edges on the first side, we removed them from the heat and quickly turned each one, letting residual heat gently cook them the rest of the way. A flavorful topping came together in the same pan used to cook the shrimp.

Before You Begin

Fermented black beans can be found with the asian ingredients in most supermarkets.

Instructions

Toss shrimp and salt together in bowl; set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and ⅛ teaspoon sugar to bowl with shrimp and toss to coat. Add shrimp to cold 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet in single layer and cook over high heat until undersides of shrimp are spotty brown and edges turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Working quickly, use tongs to flip each shrimp; let stand until second side is opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to platter.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites, black beans, ginger, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is fragrant and ginger is just beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Off heat, add shrimp, scallion greens, soy sauce, and sesame oil and toss to coat. Transfer shrimp to platter and serve.