Penangese Grilled Shrimp with Painfully Hot Salsa

The mere mention of Penang is enough to make most Malaysians’ mouths water. This tropical island off the northeastern coast is reputed to have some of the best food in Asia—a reputation easily verified by visiting the food stalls on Gurney Drive. You’d expect the fiendishly hot nam choh (shallot “salsa”) in this recipe to overpower the delicate butter and coconut milk–basted shrimp, but in fact it does just the opposite: The heat seems to sensitize your taste buds to the mild, sweet