Authentic Szechwan Shrimp

This recipe reflects the spicy cooking
of the Szechwan Province in China.
Stir-fried jumbo shrimp in a spicy
and tasty ketchup sauce, Yes Ketchup!
It's used often in Chinese cooking.
Have plenty of cold beverages
to drink as this dish is spicy.

Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo white or pink shrimp
(U 20-21); peeled and deveined
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 egg white, beaten
1 tbsp. rice wine
1 tablespoon ginger, minced fine or grated
1 tablespoon chili sauce or paste with garlic
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. light soy
1 tbsp. rice wine
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. canola or peanut oil, for the pan
2 tbsp. canola or peanut oil, for shrimp
2 tbsp. hot red peppers, chopped very fine
1 tablespoons fresh peeled garlic, minced
1/4 cup scallions, minced
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Peel, devein and dry the shrimp.
Beat the egg white add the 2 tbsp. cornstarch
and 1 tbsp. rice wine, blend well
and coat the shrimp with it. Marinate 20 minutes.
Combine the ginger, chili sauce, ketchup, sugar,
sesame oil, white pepper, cornstarch soy,
rice wine and water. Mix well and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp. canola or peanut oil in a wok
or heavy bottom non-stick pan on high heat
until it just begins to shimmer and smoke.
Add 2 tbsp. canola or peanut oil to the shrimp
to separate them prior to adding them
to the hot pan with oil.
Fry 2-3 minutes until firm and pink,
drain and remove them immediately
from the pan and keep warm.
Still on high heat, add 1 tablespoon
of the drained-off oil back to the pan,
add the peppers, garlic and scallions
and cook until fragrant only 30 seconds.
Add the mixed sauce (ginger-ketchup-sesame)
mixture and shrimp and heat thoroughly to boil.
Turn off the heat after well coated (1-2 minutes)
and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve with white rice.