Go Back
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Asian-Glazed Shrimp and Calamari with Wilted Basil

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
marinate shrimp and calamari10 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Keyword: basil, Bell Red Peppers, calamari, fish sauce, gluten free, jalapeno, shrimp
Servings: 2 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 1/2-1 jalapeno (See NOTE section below) coarsely chopped (adjust amount according to spice preference)
  • 2-3 tablespoons red bell pepper chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled
  • ¼ cup sugar granulated
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
  • 3/4 lb. large uncooked shrimp (U8-12 size) peeled and deveined (1 lb. large shrimp if omitting calamari)
  • 1/4 lb. calamari tubes if using (optional), cut into 1/2" rings
  • 2 cups basil leaves,about 1 large bunch (or more!) rinse and pat dry
  • lime wedges for garnish, optional
  • white rice (your favorite kind) for serving, optional

Instructions

  • Blend jalapeno, red pepper, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, salt, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a blender until smooth. Transfer marinade to a bowl and add shrimp and calamari; toss to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high/high. Make sure oil is very hot before adding the seafood. (Oil should almost be smoking.) This is important for achieving crispy edges on the shrimp and calamari. Working in batches if needed, add shrimp and calamari, leaving marinade behind, and cook, turning once, until lightly caramelized and browned around the edges, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Actual cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp. If using smaller shrimp, cooking time will be less.)
  • Remove shrimp and calamari from the pan and place on a platter.
  • Turn down heat and add basil. Cook until basil is wilted, less than 1 minute.
  • Using tongs, add wilted basil to the shrimp and calamari. Then use a spatula to scrape up as much of the caramelized brown-bit goodness remaining in the pan and add to the dish. Serve with lime wedges and rice, if desired.

Notes

This is not a "saucy" dish.  For a saucier dish, add the leftover marinade to the pan after the basil has been removed, turn up the heat to medium-high and cook the marinade until it reduces down and most of the liquid has evaporated.  The process should take 3 or so minutes. 
Jalapeno peppers are more readily available at most markets so I substituted them for the Fresnos. Initially, I tried this recipe using only jalapeno and while the taste was great, it lacked presentation color.  So I combined regular bell red pepper with the jalapeno to achieve the red marinade color while still maintaining some heat in the dish with the jalapeno.
The original recipe calls for 3 fresno chiles.  My market doesn't sell those chiles.  If yours does, try them.  Depending on your level of spice tolerance, you may want to start out with just 1-1 1/2 chiles.
If you can get your hands on Thai Basil instead of regular basil...even better!
If you don't like calamari, omit it and use only shrimp. 
Scallops can also be added to this recipe either in addition to the shrimp and calamari or as a substitute for the calamari.
The calamari cooks very quickly so, if possible, add the shrimp to the pan first and then add the calamari.  The calamari will literally start to pop and jump in the pan once it is cooked. Remove from pan once this happens, even if the shrimp are still cooking.