Shrimp and Grits

Each year Pierre chooses his own birthday meal. He really could pick all of our meals, but he seems to struggle with meal planning more than I do. This year, he decided that he would like to have shrimp and grits. I had never made the dish before, so I started researching.

I knew that I did not want to use tons of cream and butter. So, I read tons of recipes and came up with my own variation.

The grits came out creamy and the shrimp was just slightly spicy. It had a nice acidic taste from the lime and richness from the cream and butter. I know they are not authentic, but they certainly hit the spot. Especially with those bacon sprinkles!

Shrimp and Grits

by Jessica

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

6043863

Ingredients (2-4 servings)

For the Shrimp

3/4 pound shell on, raw shrimp (I like smaller shrimp)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 jalapeño, diced

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons green onion, diced

juice 1/2 lime

3 drops Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon heavy cream

3 slices bacon, browned

For the Grits

Shells from the shrimp

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cup milk

1 cup shrimp water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

For the Shrimp

Defrost the shrimp in a room temperature water bath. Remove the shells and place in a small sauce pan.

In a medium skillet, cook the jalapeno in oil over medium heat until tender. Add the crushed garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the green onion, lime, Worcestershire Sauce, cilantro, and cream to the pan. Cook another minute or two. Serve the sauce over the shrimp and grits. Garnish with Bacon, cilantro, and green onions if desired.

For the grits

In a small sauce pan, cook the shrimp shells in about 1 1/2 cups water with salt for 10 minutes on high. Strain the liquid and use it in the grits.

In a small sauce pan, add milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Cover and cook on low. Whisk every two minutes to prevent sticking (They will be done in about 10 minutes. . When creamy, whisk in butter, heavy cream, and cheese. Serve immediately.