Shrimp & Grits

Shrimp and Grits

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 lb. large shrimp, peeled to the tail, de-veined
• 1 Teaspoon paprika
• 1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 Teaspoon cayenne
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Grits:
• 1 Cup grits (I used real yellow corn grits. But you could use any really.)
• 2 Cups water
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 Cup grated cheddar cheese
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Sauce:
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon garlic
• 1 scallion, minced (divide the green and white part)
• 1/2 Cup clam juice (or you could use any stock or just water)
• 1/2 Cup water (or you can do a full cup of stock if you aren't using clam juice)
• 1/2 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 slice country ham (optional)

Loosely based on this recipe. I changed many things though.

Prepping the shrimp

The original recipe called for a Cajun seasoning for the shrimp. If you have a good Cajun seasoning you can definitely use that. I just mixed up a quick spice mix with these guys.

Makeshift Cajun.

If your shrimp aren’t already cleaned, peel them up to the tails. Then use a paring knife to slice up the back and wash out the vein. Then toss them with your seasonings.

Don't be afraid of the spices!

Cooking the Grits

This meal actually comes together really quickly. Before you start cooking the shrimp, get your grits going. You can prepare the grits according to the package if you are using instant ones or just assume about a 3-1 ratio of liquid to grits. Use at least one cup of cream to get the grits very creamy.

Combine all your liquid in a sauce pan and bring it to a simmer, then slowly add your grits while whisking. Continue to whisk it and after a few minutes it should thicken up. Then you can whisk in your cheese!

Overkill? Nah.

You can keep this over low heat while you prepare the other parts of the dish. If you notice it’s getting to thick, just whisk in a few tablespoons of milk and it should loosen up.

Cooking the shrimp

Shrimp are very easy to cook. Just remember that they cook pretty fast and overcooked shrimp are not the best.

Just melt your butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and once it’s melted and hot, add your shrimp to the pan. Leave them untouched on one side for 3-4 minutes, then turn them and cook for the same amount of time on the other side. The exact cooking time will vary based on the size of your shrimp. I used large (16-20 count) shrimp and they cooked in about 7 minutes.

They should look like this.

Perfect!

Making the sauce

The sauce for this dish is really what makes it decadent. I must admit that I loved the thicker sauce over the broth version that I tried.

After the shrimp come out of the pan, you’ll have some bits of seasoning still in the pan. Leave all that in there! That’s flavor. Just add your butter for the sauce straight in and scrape up any little bits. Once the butter is melted, add the scallions and garlic and stir. Let them cook and soften for a minute or two.

Scallions and garlic and butter.

Then you’ll need these things. I used clam juice which has a great flavor. You could honestly use any stock you wanted though.

Interesting mix.

Next, add your flour to the pan and combine it with the butter, scallions, and garlic. Cook it for just a minute or two. It should start to turn a very light tan. This is your roux for the sauce.

Next add your clam juice or stock slowly and stir. It will steam and hiss but should stay pretty thick. This is right after I added my clam juice.

Just needs the cream.

Then add your cream, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and you should be good to go. It should have the consistency of a gravy basically. If it looks too thin, let it simmer for another minute or two. If it looks too thick, add a bit more liquid (stock, milk, or cream).

To plate the dish, you want a big serving of cheesy grits.

Creamy and cheesy.

Then add 6 or 7 shrimp to each plate.

Tails must face the same way!

Then add some sauce on top and garnish with scallion greens and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Serve with a cold beer.

I really liked this version of the dish. I know the original also has ham on it, but that seemed a bit like overkill to me. It’s plenty flavorful as is.

http://www.macheesmo.com/2010/03/shrimp-and-grits/