Hunan Barbecue Shrimp and Dry Cured Sweet Sausage Skewers with Garlic Chile Bok Choy

Delicious!

   
     This is a nice Las Vegas style presentation for this plate of Chinese food.  Las Vegas has some great traditional and cutting edge Chinese restaurants.  Many of the fun Chinese restaurants are non-traditional noodle houses that also offer modern entree presentations.
   
     Hunan Barbecue Sauce Recipe:
     Place 1/2 cup of  sugar and and 1 cup of water in a sauce pot over high heat.
     Boil and reduce the sugar water, till a clear sugar syrup is formed.
     Reduce the temperature to very low heat.
     Add 1 tablespoon of thin soy sauce.
     Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger.
     Add 1 minced garlic clove.
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     Add 3 pinches of five spice powder.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
     Add 3 pinches of cayenne pepper.
     Add 4 tablespoons of hoisin sauce.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
     Add 2 tablespoons of honey.
     Add about 4 to 6 drops of red food coloring to turn the sauce into a bright red color.  (Organic food dyes are available at most markets.)
     Let the sauce simmer and reduce, till the Hunan BBQ becomes a medium thin glaze.
     Pour the hunan barbecue sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl.
     Set the sauce aside.
   
     Black Sesame Rice Recipe:
     Place 2 cups of water into a sauce pot.
     Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger.
     Add 1 teaspoon of black sesame seed.
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     Add 1 clove of chopped garlic.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil.
     Place the sauce pot over high heat.
     Bring the liquid to a boil.
     Add 1 cup of white rice.
     When the rice comes to a boil, reduce the temperature to low heat.
     Cover the pot with a lid.
     Let the rice simmer, till the water is absorbed and the rice becomes fully cooked.
     Keep the rice warm on a stove top.
   
     Hunan Barbecue Shrimp and Dry Cured Sweet Sausage Skewers Recipe: 
     Soak 2 bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes.
     Boil 6 thick slices of Chinese dry cured sweet pork sausage in water over medium high heat.
     Boil the dry cured hard sausage slices, till they become softened.
     Set the sausage slices aside and let them cool. 
     Peel and devein 10 shrimp, but leave the tails on.
     Place the shrimp and softened dry cured sausage on the skewers.
     Place the kabobs on a roasting pan.
     Brush the skewers lightly with sesame oil.
     Set the pan with the skewers aside.
     Before the skewers are broiled, make the Garlic Chile Bok Choy!
   
     Garlic Chile Bok Choy Recipe:
     Boil 5 cups of water over high heat.
     Cut 5 baby bok choy in half lengthwise.
     Place the bok choy in the boiling water.
     Blanch the bok choy for 1 minute, till they become cooked al dente.
     Drain off the excess water.
     Heat a saute pan over medium heat.
     Add 1 splash of vegetable oil.
     Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic.
     Saute the garlic, till it starts to turn a golden color.
     Add the blanched bok choy halves.
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     Add 1 tablespoon of Korean Coarse Red Serrano Chile Sauce.
     Saute and toss the ingredients for one minute.
     Set the garlic chile bok choy aside and keep it warm on a stove top.
     
     Finishing the Skewers:
     Place the broiler pan and skewers under a broiler.
     Broil the skewers, till the shrimp become halfway cooked.
     Remove the pan from the broiler.
     Brush the kabobs with the Hunan BBQ sauce.
     Finish cooking the skewers under the broiler.
     Brush the kabobs with the Hunan BBQ sauce once more, before setting them on the plate.
   
     Presentation: 
     Use a ring mold to place a portion of the black sesame rice on a plate. 
     Place the garlic bok choy on the plate, so it is fanned outward from the rice.
     Place the skewers over the bok choy so the skewers lean against the rice and so that the skewers are criss crossed.
  
     This is such a great combination of flavors!  The black sesame seed rice has a pleasant fermented sesame flavor.  The chile garlic bok choy adds some zest to the plate.  The skewers have a nice classic Hunan barbecue flavor!  This is a very pretty plate of food that tastes great!  Yum!  ...  Shawna