Culinary Escapades: Nilasing na Hipon

We had shrimp lying around the fridge. There was an opened bottle of white wine in the cupboard. Solution: Put them together to make a delicious dinner for my mom and uncle!

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• Half a kilo of fresh shrimp
• 3 tbsp. of white wine (gin, tequila, or vodka will do, but amount and length of marinade time will vary)
• A tbsp. of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sliced ginger (little)
• A small red onion, sliced
• A medium tomato, sliced into small pieces
• A chili or two, sliced
• Seasoning (optional)

Other ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• A small block of butter (for frying)
• Olive oil
• Red bell pepper (optional)

Process:

• Mix the wine/alcohol with the tablespoon of olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add in all the ingredients for the marinade, except the seasoning.
• Throw in the shrimp. Sprinkle the seasoning on top of the shrimp.
• Mix them all together. Make sure to coat every bad boy in the bowl with the marinade.
• Leave for about an hour. Let the flavors get to know each other a little better.
• Prepare the pan. Let it warm up, but don't allow it to get too hot.
• Chuck in a small block of butter. Let it melt.
• Add in a small amount of olive oil. Eyeball the amount at this point. You have to consider the amount of shrimp that will go into the pan.
• Let the oil and butter warm up.
• Throw in the garlic. Let it brown.
• Drain or strain the marinade from the shrimp concoction. You can leave the solid ingredients in with the shrimp.
• Slowly introduce the shrimp to the pan. Be careful. The oil might react with the water in the shrimp.
• Lightly saute the shrimp until it gets a rich, orange hue, then you'll know it's ready.
• Enjoy!

How easy was that? Here's my very first take on the Pinoy hit, Nilasing na Hipon or Shrimp Cooked in Wine. 

It may not look pretty but trust me, it will taste phenomenal! The shrimp meat will suck in all the sweetness of the wine, combined with its own juices. You can dip it in ketchup if you want that extra sweetness and tang or enjoy it as it is. :)

Again, feel free to adjust the ingredients according to your own preferences. This is just my own formulation. 

Love,

SGT <3