Vietnamese Pineapple-Shrimp Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• minced
• 1 shallot
• minced
• 1 serrano chili
• seeded and minced
• 6 ounces shrimp
• peeled
• deveined and finely chopped
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon Vietnamese or Thai chili sauce
• or more
• to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Pinch of salt
• if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a wok or saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic, shallots and chili, and stir-fry until they just begin to brown, about 1 minute.
3. Add shrimp, and stir-fry until opaque, 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the pineapple and pineapple juice, and bring to a boil.
5. Stir in the fish sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, pepper, sugar and cilantro, and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is thick and richly flavored, 3 minutes.
7. If desired, add pinch of salt or dash of chili sauce.
8. Puree sauce in a food processor.
9. Serve at room temperature.