Shrimp in Wine

I was taking an inventory of decluttering my pantry when I noticed a bottle of red cooking wine. After checking the contents of my freezer, I decided to make shrimp in wine (nilasing na hipon in our vernacular) and give the wine a go. It was delicious - the subtle hint of bitter of the wine and the sweetness of the Mirin made a perfect combination. More rice, please!

What you need:

1/2 pound of medium-sized shrimp (around 15 - 20 pieces), shelled and deveined
3/4 cup of red cooking wine
1/2 cup Mirin
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and julienned
1/2 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
around 6 stalks of green onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

In a bowl, combine the cooking wine, Mirin and shrimp. Marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.

Heat a wok in medium-high heat, then add the olive oil and saute the garlic, ginger and onions for a few minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Drain the shrimp and add to the wok. Cook until shrimp turn pink/red. Add salt and pepper according to taste. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green onions.

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Olive oil adds a little bit of taste to the dish, but regular Canola or Vegetable Oil would do.
2. Cut the shrimp lengthwise at the back to get more from your shrimp.
3. If you want a bit of juice in your dish, add a little bit of the marinade when you put the shrimp in the wok.
4. You can also add the green onions to the wok before removing the dish from the heat if you don't want it as a garnish.