Savory and a little sweet, this light dinner tastes like spring but can be made any time of year — and any night of the week if you keep a stash of shrimp in your freezer. By quickly thawing them under running water, then dry-brining them with salt for a minute, you end up with juicier, snappier shrimp that taste incredibly fresh. Asparagus spears also cook fast until they’re as crisp-tender as the shrimp. By slicing them at a sharp angle, you reduce any stringiness in the stalks. For a spicy stir-fry, use the chile and keep the seeds in. For a little less heat, remove the seeds after slicing. Stirring a final pat of butter into the sauce, which is sweetened with onion and salty with soy, binds together all of the ingredients with a touch of richness. Serve over rice to sop up that sauce or over tender, leafy greens for a warm salad.

Quick Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
• 1 pound peeled and deveined frozen shrimp (16-to-20-count; see Tip)
• Salt
• Canola or grapeseed oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small red hot chile, thinly sliced (seeds removed for a milder heat)
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut at a sharp angle into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Rinse the shrimp in a colander under running cold water until no longer rock hard, 3 to 4 minutes. Very generously sprinkle with salt and toss in the colander. Let stand for 1 minute, then rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom, then add the onion, garlic and chile. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring, until the onion starts to turn translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until curled more tightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus, soy sauce and sugar, and cook, stirring, until the asparagus are just tender, 1 to 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

Total time: 20 minutes, serves 2-4.

Tip:
If using shell-on shrimp, start with 1 1/4 pounds. If you can’t find a 16-to-20-count package of shrimp, go with smaller ones, such as a 21-to-30-count. (Shrimp are labeled by number of shrimp per pound, such as 16-20 or 21-30.) If using smaller shrimp, reduce the cooking time slightly.