Thaw the shrimp completely and pat the surface dry. You may also need to remove the shell, tail, and veins.
Combine sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water and set aside.
Cook the Shrimp:Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute + 20 seconds per side. (Use a timer to avoid overcooking). Tilt the pan to transfer the shrimp onto a clean plate. Note that they’ll cook a little bit more as they sit, and again when added back to the sauce.
Add the broccoli to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, until slightly softened. (Add a splash of oil if needed). Remove and set aside.
Make the Sauce: Add the sauce mixture (minus the cornstarch) to the skillet.
Combine cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water and stir until well-combined.
Bring the sauce to a boil.Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce, stirring continuously, until thickened.
Reduce heat to low and add the broccoli. Cover partially and let it heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the shrimp back and spoon the sauce on top. Let it heat through for about 1 minute.
(Optional: Transfer to serving plates and drizzle with honey!) Serve with rice and garnish with green onions and roughly chopped honey roasted peanuts.
Notes
Pro Tips:
Shrimp: The size I use is large, and is labeled as 26/30 per pound. (This means that it takes between 26-30 shrimp to equal a pound.) You can use fresh or frozen.
If using frozen shrimp: Run them under cool water until completely thawed, then pat them dry. You may also need to remove the shells/tail/veins.
Shrimp Seasoning: Frozen shrimp are typically placed in a brine before being frozen, and the solution in the frozen container is typically salted as well, so there is no need to salt the shrimp prior to cooking.
Shrimp can go from cooked to overcooked very quickly, consider setting a timer to avoid overcooking. One way to mitigate this is to peel them after you sauté them, the shell helps protect them from cooking too quickly.
Shrimp curled into a "c" =cooked. A shrimp curled into an "o" = overcooked.
Ingredient additions include: Bell Peppers, julienned carrots, and onions.
Making Perfectly Cooked Rice:I love serving this with 3 cups of white long grain rice. Here is how I make it:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. (I add 2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water for enhanced flavor.)
Add 1 cup of rinsed white long grain rice and let the liquid come back up to a boil.
Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it stand in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, any rice stuck to the bottom will release.
This yields 3 cups of flavorful, perfectly cooked rice. I use a Dutch oven for this which conducts heat well.
Note that other varieties of rice may require different liquid measurements and/or cooking times.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Cooked/leftover shrimp can be frozen and reheated for future meals, and this sauce does reheat well.
To reheat: Let it thaw completely and reheat in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until just heated through. Overcooked shrimp becomes rubbery, so try to avoid that.
You can also reheat this in a makeshift double boileron the stovetop, it applies a nice, even heat without being too direct or harsh.
The nutrition information is an estimate and is per serving, and there are 4 servings in this recipe. (3 cups of rice is included as well.)