A quick little stir-fry, great for a weekday dinner, and especially good if you can get a chunk of country ham, like prosciutto, Serrano, or Smithfield. Great, too, with sautéed Chinese sausages (sold at every Chinese supermarket) in place of ham. With white rice, this makes a nice little meal.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 pound small shrimp, peeled

　　1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

　　1 cup fresh or frozen peas

　　2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　One 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

　　3 scallions, trimmed and chopped

　　1/4 pound ham (see headnote), cut into 1/4-inch cubes

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Place the shrimp in a bowl with the wine. Toss to coat and marinate for 5 minutes. Cook the peas in boiling salted water to cover until tender, just a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a wok or skillet and turn the heat to high. A minute later, add the ginger and scallions and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.Add the ham and brown lightly.

　　

Step 3

Stir in the shrimp, its marinade, and the peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.