The Chef
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Spice Market

Servings
Serves 6

Ingredients
Black-Pepper Sauce
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 1⁄2 tablespoons minced ginger
8 scallions, chopped
1 1⁄2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
1 1⁄2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed, squeezed, and chopped
1⁄2 cup sweet soy (kecap manis)
2 1⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 3⁄4 tablespoons sugar
2 1⁄2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

Skewers
24 large shrimp, deveined, tails left on
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup pea shoots, chopped (watercress can be substituted)
1 cup jícama, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice

Cooking Instructions
Black-Pepper Sauce
Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and scallion, and sauté until golden. Add the pepper, and cook until it becomes fragrant, then add the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a blender, and purée until the sauce becomes medium smooth.

Skewers
Heat one side of the grill to medium. Cook pineapple on the cool part of the grill until it is lightly caramelized.

Remove, and assemble the skewers, alternating 2 pieces of shrimp and 3 of pineapple. Place over the coals, and grill until the shrimp start to turn pink. Brush both sides of the skewers liberally with the black-pepper sauce, and return to the grill to finish cooking. Toss the pea shoots and jícama together, and serve with the shrimp skewers.