Stir together a handful of spices and you have the key to a fantastically delicious dish that your fiery-food loving family and friends will adore. You can adjust the seasonings to create a milder version, with more paprika and less cayenne, but leave some heat in there and cool things off by mixing the sauce with rice as you eat it. You could also use a prepared spicy seasoning mixture, and simply add it in place of the spices combined here.  

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon paprika   

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

1 tablespoon sherry or Shaoxing rice wine, or white wine 

2 teaspoon soy sauce 

2 teaspoons water 

1/2 teaspoons sugar 

12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

3/4 cup chopped celery 

3 tablespoons chopped green onions 

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley 

1. In a medium bowl, combine the white pepper, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir to mix them well. Add the shrimp and then mix and turn them to coat them evenly with the spice mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine the sherry, soy sauce, water, and sugar, and stir to mix well.

3. Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan.

4. Add the shrimp, spreading them out into a single layer. Cook undisturbed until pink around the edges, about 1 minute.

5. Toss well and then arrange the shrimp with their uncooked sides down, in contact with the hot pan. Scatter the celery in over the shrimp.

6. Cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are no longer pink, about 1 minute more.

7. Add the sherry mixture, pouring it in around the edges of the pan. 8. Toss well and cook until shrimp are cooked through, tossing occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add green onions and parsley and toss once more to mix everything well.

9. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot or warm.