I have never had Shrimp and Grits. I grew up in the deep south where Grits are a religion, and not to be messed with.
Shrimp and Grits was typically eaten by many fishermen in the Southeastern, coastal regions. It is a very popular dish during shrimping season which typically last from May to December. In 1976, grits became the official food of South Carolina. The fishermen in these regions made shrimp and grits their standard breakfast when they had no options to choose from. Shrimp and grits were both hearty and satisfying for the fishermen and so they stuck with this diet. When this dish first gained popularity with the fishermen, it included butter or bacon grease in the grits for that extra bit of flavor.
Found this recipe and decided I would give Shrimp and Grits a try
These shrimp get so crispy on the edges and are so good, they would be great all by themselves or in a pasta dish as well as with grits.
The shrimp are sauteed quickly while the grits are cooking
Once the grits are done, stir in the gouda, oh man
All that is left is to dish it up. I have poured some of the browned seasoned butter left in the skillet on top of my shrimp and grits in this photo
The original recipe calls for sprinkling some cooked whole kernel corn on top, but I left that part out of mine.
Thank you to How Sweet Eats food blog for this original recipe.
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup Quaker 5 minute grits
- 8 ounces gouda cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 ears grilled sweet corn, cut from the cob
- 2 tablespoons freshly snipped chives
- 1 pound raw peeled and deveined shrimp
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
- Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Once boiling, add the grits and whisk constantly until they are fully mixed into the stock, about a minute or two.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover, stirring once or twice more, until the grits are thicker and creamy, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the grated cheese, salt and pepper.
- Taste and season more if desired
- Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels.
- Once it's dry, season it with the salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder and cumin.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter.
- Once it's melted and begins to sizzle, add the shrimp in batches (don't overcrowd it!) and cook on both sides until pink.
- The butter will brown as the shrimp cooks and you can whisk it occasionally to prevent it from burning.
- When the shrimp is finished, stir in the garlic and cook for a second then place the shrimp on a plate.
- To serve the grits, spoon them into a bowl and add the shrimp on top. You can drizzle any of the butter in the pan on top too. Cover with spoonfuls of grilled corn.