Juicy Thai Curried Pineapple Shrimp

This recipe requires materials you should be able to find in the "Asian" section of a larger supermarket (you'll have no trouble at an Asian food store). The tentative issue here is the curry paste: some brands are super hot, others are very mild. I recommend you taste a bit on your tongue: if it's YOWZA hot, go light on the curry paste.

Anyhow, heat your oil in a medium size stock pan or Dutch oven on low-medium. Add the curry and a little about 4 ounces of the coconut milk. Turn up the heat to medium and stir until you begin to smell the fragrance.

Then, add the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and paprika, and kaffir leaves. Kaffir leaves are from a small, fragrant lime shrub that you can plant and grow from a nursery, and are sometimes available at Asian markets (they're interesting looking and I've got one growing on my patio for looks). If you cannot find them, the lime juice will suffice. Stir for about a minute or two, then add the remainder of the coconut milk and dump in the pineapple.

When the sauce is hot, add your shrimp. Cook until your fresh shrimp are pink, or alternately, until the cooked shrimp are heated-through. Now comes the fun part: get your Pineapple Boats and display them on a large plate, the leaves of each facing opposite ends. Ladle your shrimp with juices into the boats.

Serve your guests with a small plate of rice and tell them their job is to use their spoons to get 'em some shrimp. Be sure to instruct them to dip the sauce in the rice: that's the best part!

Recipe can be served as a meal or an appetizer (serves twice as many people as an appetizer)