Garlic Shrimp and Sesame Spinach

Outrageously yummy!
   
     Garlic shrimp are very popular in Las Vegas Chinese restaurants.  Chinese buffets almost always offer garlic shrimp.  Crispy wok fried garlic shrimp is messy, fun, finger licking food!
     Whole shrimp with heads and shells attached are best for this recipe.  The rich orange shrimp fat behind the head is considered to be a delicacy.  The sesame spinach in this recipe goes well with the garlic oil that falls off of the shrimp.
     Sesame oil is a product that requires reading the label.  Most sesame oil that is used for stir fry is blended sesame oil.  Blended sesame oil is best for short very hot cooking techniques like quick stir fry starts, because the blended oil has a higher smoking point.  Pure sesame oil has a low smoking point and it is added late in a recipe like lemon or an herb.  A few drops of pure sesame oil equals about a tablespoon of blended sesame oil.  Pure sesame oil will become bitter tasting if it is overheated.  When my recipes state sesame oil, that refers to pure sesame oil.  When a recipe says blended sesame oil, then that is what is needed.
     Chinese recipes usually call for tiny amounts of sesame oil.  Korean recipes can require much larger amounts of sesame oil.  Vietnamese recipes sometimes call for sesame oil to be used like an herb.  Thai recipes rarely require sesame oil, but it used in a few regional Thai recipes.
  
     Sesame Spinach Recipe:
     Heat a saute pan over medium heat.
     Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
     Add 1 clove of minced garlic.
     Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger.
     Add 2 generous large handfuls of baby spinach leaves.
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     Add 1 teaspoon of sesame seed.
     Stir and toss the spinach, till it becomes wilted.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil.
     Set the spinach across a plate like a bed for the shrimp.
     Keep the plate warm on a stove top, while the shrimp are cooked.
  
     Garlic Shrimp Recipe:
     Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or saute pan over medium high heat.
     Add 12 to 14 whole, unpeeled large shrimp with the heads attached.
     Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of chopped garlic.
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     Add 2 pinches of crushed red pepper.
     Add 2 pinches of five spice powder.
     Toss and stir fry the shrimp in the hot oil, till the shrimp become fully cooked and the shells become crisp.  (The garlic will cook to a dark brown color, but that is part of the charm of this recipe!)
     Place the garlic shrimp on the bed of wilted sesame spinach.
  
     The aroma of garlic will fill the kitchen and dining area!  When shrimp are molting and the shells are paper thin, the shells can be eaten too.  This is a very fun garlicky recipe.  Yummy!  ...  Shawna