Coconut Caramel Shrimp

 Yet another winner from Andrea Nguyen's new cookbook Vietnamese Food Any Day.  If you have been tempted by some of the recipes that I have been posting lately, take the plunge and buy this book.  I have never made Vietnamese food that tastes this good, and almost everything has been very easy to put together as well.  This recipe is another winner!

1 1/4 pounds (570g) large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 cups (375ml) coconut water

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon caramel (see note, below), or light molasses or sorghum syrup

1 3/4 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced (but not too thin)

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 scallions, just the green parts, thinly sliced

freshly-ground black pepper

1. Pat the shrimp gently with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the coconut water, sugar, caramel, and fish sauce until well-combined. (Andrea recommends tasting it to make sure it has a nice balance of sugar and fish sauce. If necessary, add a little more of either.)

3. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet with the shallots and garlic over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic, stirring frequently, until they're translucent. Turn off heat and let cool a few minutes.

4. Add the coconut water to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high until the coconut water starts to boil. Let the mixture reduce at a steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary so it stays there, until it's reduced to about 1/2 cup (125ml). It will take 10 to 12 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are just cooked through and the sauce is reduced to a loose, yet thickened syrup. If you think the shrimp are cooking too fast before the sauce is properly reduced, you can remove them with a slotted spoon, let the sauce reduce, then add them back.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions as well as a good amount of black pepper. Let the mixture sit for a minute or so before serving, stirring the shrimp so it gets coated in the sauce. If the juices get too thick, you can dribble in a little more coconut water to loosen things up.  Serve with rice.

Note: For the caramel sauce, Andrea's recipe calls for cooking 2 tablespoons of water and 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar with a few drops of vinegar in a skillet until it turns a deep amber color. Remove the pan from heat and add 1/4 cup (60ml) of water, which may bubble up (so be careful). Stir until smooth. Use 1 tablespoon of the caramel for this recipe. (The rest can be stored in the refrigerator, to use when you make it again.)