Shrimp with Asian Barbecue Sauce

Hoisin sauce on its own makes for a tasty basting sauce, but this recipe enhances the flavor with the addition of five-spice powder.  It's a seasoning used extensively in Chinese cooking -- a blend of equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns.  It's available in most supermarkets.

8 - 10" wooden or metal skewers
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 1/4 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Romaine lettuce leaves

If using wood skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir hoisin sauce, ketchup, ginger, five-spice powder, and 1 Tbsp vinegar to make Asian Barbecue Sauce.  Remove 1/4 cup barbecue sauce to a small bowl; stir in water and remaining 1 Tbsp vinegar and reserve to use as dipping sauce.

Thread shrimp tightly on skewers.  Brush shrimp with some barbecue sauce from the bowl.  

Lightly grease a grill pan.  Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place the shrimp on the hot grill pan and cook 2 minutes.  Brush with some barbecue sauce; turn and brush with remaining sauce and grill until shrimp turn opaque throughout, 1 - 2 minutes longer.

Arrange romaine on platter.  Serve shrimp on skewers over romaine with reserved dipping sauce.  

So good!