Shrimp with Tamarind Sauce

To make the sauce: Heat 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in the garlic and cook until just turning brown. Add a cup of chicken stock, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice, sugar, and fish (or soya) sauce. Simmer until thickened to the consistency of light syrup. Try your sauce and add more of each seasoning to taste.

Prepare the shrimp: Choose nice big shrimp and remove the shell and vein. You can also butterfly them if you prefer

To make the shrimp: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium heat in large saucepan and saute the shrimp for 2-3 minutes. Stir shrimp around quickly and add a dash of oyster sauce or salt. Remove the shrimp from the pan just after they turn pink. Put fried shallots (which you can find in specialty grocery stores or fry them yourself) over shrimp and serve.

Serve: Spoon tamarind sauce over shrimp in a serving dish. If you want, you can top with cilantro.