Hardly-Any-Prep Shrimp Stir-Fry

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 fresh red chile
a small bunch of fresh cilantro
peanut or vegetable oil
1/2 pound large shrimp, raw, peeled
1 heaped teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 fresh baby corn or 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
a small handful of snow peas
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
a handful of frozen peas
7 ounces rice sticks or vermicelli
a small handful of beansprouts

Directions

1. TO PREPARE YOUR STIR-FRY: Put a large pan of water on to boil.
2. Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the chile. Pick the cilantro leaves from the stalks and put to one side, then roughly chop the stalks.
3. TO COOK YOUR STIR-FRY: Preheat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and once it's very, very hot add a good lug of peanut oil and swirl it around.
4. Stir in the cilantro stalks, ginger, garlic, chile, shrimp, and five-spice powder, and fry for a minute.
5. Add the cornstarch, baby corn, and snow peas, and give them a good toss or stir for another minute.
6. Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, and frozen peas.
7. Add the rice sticks (or vermicelli) to the pan of boiling water and use a wooden spoon to break them up a bit.
8. Cook for just 2 minutes, no longer. Drain the rice sticks (or vermicelli) in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water. Add a large spoonful or ladleful of the cooking water to the wok and cook for a minute or two.
9. TO SERVE YOUR STIR-FRY: Use tongs to divide the rice sticks (or vermicelli) between your serving bowls, or to lift them on to one large serving platter.