Shrimp And Grits:
A Quick 'n Easy Recipe
Shrimp and grits?
For the longest time, we resisted the offer to even try a plate of plain grits. In fact, there was a time when the mere idea of eating ground corn was less than appetizing...until hunger drove us to a Waffle House where we ordered two eggs sunny side up with a bowl of cheese grits as a side dish.
A Waffle House may not be the ideal location to develop a taste for such a regional culinary specialty but if you become hooked on straight up, creamy grits then any gourmet touch can only make them tastier.
Years later, we ordered shrimp and grits for dinner. In an instant, plain grits quickly took second place on the list of breakfast menu favorites.
Far from being the breakfast food we had come to enjoy, grits (or polenta or hominy depending on which part of the country you are from) proved to be the perfect foil for wine infused seafood, bacon bits and aged cheddar. With the simple addition of meat, crustaceans and seasoned with onions and garlic, ground corn was elevated to the level of an amazingly flavorful meal.
To our palate, the best shrimp and grits platters are found in North Carolina but we have adapted our Wilmington restaurant favorite to serve any day of the week. It is also a favorite of dinner guests.
So...On a recent 4-day trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks, our singular mission was to eat as much local seafood as possible.
In particular, we wanted to sink a fork into a dish of shrimp and grits.
It was on the menu at a well known Wilmington restaurant. Ignoring the rest of the fabulous menu, I did not hesitate to order their version of Shrimp and Grits.
As expected, the dish was every bite as good as we imagined hoped it would be.
Yet, in my mind, I expected grits topped with a well seasoned shrimp mixture to have more of a contrast in flavor intensity between the seafood and the grits.
Some dishes are mellow in flavor but the addition of mushrooms and roasted tomatoes to this combination were not necessary in my "home chef" opinion.
Any number of alternate ingredients, combined with seafood as a topping for grits would impart more zing than mushrooms and tomatoes. Both mushrooms and tomatoes produce quantities of liquid which dilute the flavors. With shrimp, these two ingredients were very unexpected.
So...we recently set about to deconstruct that particular recipe and recreate it to suit my taste buds - you know... kick it up a notch.
Simonnet mousseux was the perfect wine to go along with both the grilled swordfish and the shrimp selections. After the meal, we were tempted by the scrumptious deserts listed on the menu, which were served in gargantuan portions. Imagine sipping on a sparkling wine as you eat a light coconut cake filled with white chocolate ganache and key lime curd, then topped with fresh coconut curls, or crepes Grand Marnier filled with white chocolate ganache, then topped with raspberry sauce or a key lime ice cream confection that defied imagination.
"Colossal" size shrimp can regularly be purchased for a very low price at any Bloom around Woodbridge, Virginia including the supermarket in the Dillingham Square shopping center. It was quite tempting to purchase a pound of shrimp at that price but they were really too large for this type of dish. Large shrimp are just right for this recipe.
My Way Shrimp and Grits
A quick and easy way to recreate a restaurant shrimp and grits recipe to suit our taste buds.
Ingredients
Red Bell Corn grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1 package Oscar Mayer Thick Cut Bacon (you need 6 slices)
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (found them on sale at Bloom)
2 bunches scallions, chopped fine
1 large clove garlic, minced
Prepare the grits as directed on the package adjusting the proportion for the number of servings required. My proportions serves 4.
Bring to a boil:
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Slowly add 1 cup corn grits. Reduce heat and stir constantly for a couple minutes. Reduce to low heat and continue stirring for another 5 minutes or until thickened or place your pan on a stove top heat diffuser. You don't want the grits to burn to the bottom of the pan.
Just before serving, add butter and shredded cheese.
Shrimp Topping
Chop the bacon into small dice and fry until crisp but not burned. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
Remove most of the bacon fat. To the pan, add chopped scallions and garlic. Fry for a couple minutes but do not burn. Add the raw shrimp to the mixture. Cook the shrimp only until pink, turning them constantly so they cook evenly.
To de-glaze the pan, I add a few ounces of white wine.
Spoon the grits onto a plate and top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle bacon bits on top of shrimp. Et voilà, shrimp and grits! Serve immediately and enjoy. Bon Appétit!
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