Comfort is the name of the game with this dish. I hadn't experienced the joys of really delicious Shrimp and Grits until many trips to Mississippi. Our family is from Ohio, so grits were never really our thing. I would go so far as to say, I hated grits growing up because they were so bland and "gritty". These are nothing like the ones I had growing up, and they may just change your mind about what grits are truly capable of.
BBQ Stock
¼ cup white wine
1 cup water
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
½ tbsp hot sauce
½ tbsp liquid crab boil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp creole
Paprika
Garlic Jalapeno Cheese Grits
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp butter
1 cup water
1 cup half and half
½ cup grits
Hot sauce
Creole
3oz cheddar
2oz cream cheese
Shrimp mix
2 andouille sausages, cut into coins
1 red bell, 1 yellow bell pepper
1 shallot
1 green onion
~1 lb shrimp (31-40 size)
All bbq stock from above
2-3 tbsp cold butter
Creole seasoning
You're going to want to start by making the BBQ stock. Add all of your ingredients to a saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Once it has hit the boil, turn the heat off, let it cool, and we'll save it for the final dish.
For the grits, you'll need to mince your garlic and jalapeno. Deseed the jalapeno with a spoon if you don't want much heat in the grits themselves. Shred your cheddar cheese and measure out the rest of your ingredients. Sauté your garlic and jalapeno in butter for a minute over medium heat (don't let the garlic get color on it). Add your water and half & half and bring this to a simmer. Once this is hot, add your grits slowly and continue stirring until fully cooked and hydrated. These take about 15 minutes or longer depending on the brand you use, so be sure to continue stirring and scraping the bottom. Season with hot sauce and creole seasoning then add your cream cheese. Stir that until the cream cheese has dissolved then add your cheddar cheese in small batches. Continue stirring until creamy and taste for seasoning. Keep this warm on the stove while we build our shrimp mix.
Drain and dry your 1 lb of shrimp. For the rest of the prep, slice your andouille into bite sized coins. Dice your bell peppers and shallot, and slice your green onion for a garnish. Grab your pre-made BBQ stock from earlier, and get a large skillet heating over medium heat.
Fry your sausages in a little olive oil until well browned and crispy. Remove the sausage from the pan but leave any fat that came from the sausage. Add your bell pepper and shallot to sauté for a few minutes until softened. Remove these from the pan as well and then wipe out any bits left. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and turn the heat up to medium high. Once hot, add your shrimp and let them cook most of the way on the first side. This lets you actually brown the shrimp rather than just turning it pink. Remove the shrimp once they are almost fully cooked (before they curl up).
To the pan, add the veggies, sausage, and BBQ stock. Let the stock reduce by about half and shake in more creole seasoning. Taste this mix for seasoning and turn the heat off. Once cooled slightly, add your cold butter 1 small cube at a time and mix it to emulsify. This just means the fat from the butter is suspended in the sauce, leaving us with a creamy and glossy product. Add your shrimp back to the pan and let them warm through. Add your sliced green onion and mix one last time.
To serve, lay down a bed of the cheese grits and top with a healthy amount of shrimp and sauce. Top with a little more green onion and dig into a hearty plate of comforting goodness.
Comments