Flambe Shrimp Mandarin over Rice

Simple dish for two.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb shrimp (36/40)
• 1⁄2 fresh pineapple
• 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges
• 2  tablespoons gingerroot (minced)
• 5  garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1  large shallot (finely chopped)
• 1  chili pepper (finely chopped)
• 1  lemon, juice of
• 1⁄4 cup brandy
• 3  tablespoons brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  orange extract
• 2  tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple. Shave the peel off, save a few disks for garnish and cut the remainder in half. Cut one half into tidbits.
2. Peel and clean the shrimp.
3. Sauté a small bit of the garlic and ginger in some vegetable oil.
4. Add the lemon juice and wait for the pan to get sizzling hot again. Add the shrimp and pineapple. Sauté until the shrimp is just about cooked.
5. Use Extreme Caution On This Step:
6. In order to safely flambé the shrimp (or anything for that matter) make sure you are using 80 proof alcohol - anything higher and you'll be without eyelashes. If using a gas stove, pour the brandy in away from the burner. You should also be able to properly sauté something without splashing it everywhere to flambé, so don't blame me if you burn your house down. Anyways, on to the fun.
7. Pour the brandy into the pan, and give it a second to heat up. Ignite it either by tipping the edge of the pan towards the burner if using a gas stove, or, if using electric, take a match and ignite the fumes around the edge of pan.
8. (I turned off my lights so that the flame would show up).
9. After a few minutes, the alcohol should be burned off.
10. Put the shrimp and pineapple on the side, and heat up some more oil. Add the garlic, shallots, chili, and ginger.
11. Drain the syrup from the oranges into the mixture. Add the soy sauce, orange extract, rice vinegar, and sugar (these are just estimates, you may need to play around with the measurements).
12. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and a little bit of water. While stirring, slowly add the slurry until the sauce starts to thicken.
13. Add the shrimp and pineapple and heat until hot. Mix in the oranges and remove from heat.
14. Serve over rice.