Shrimp and Grits is a Southern standard from the "low country" cuisine of South Carolina, raised to sublime heights in the more avant-garde restaurants of Charleston. Search for this recipe on the Internet, and you're given thousands of choices, generally with common themes: shrimp, bacon, onion and grits, with and without cheese. I think that this dish generally would lend itself to an almost endless variety of variations, really only limited by one's imagination.
This is a quick version of a more complex classic Shrimp and Grits recipe, found here, and it was recently resurrected from the original version I made and posted almost ten years ago. I've updated the technique to allow for Instant grits, although the recipe actually calls for Quick grits.
What's the difference? Quick grits
have been par-cooked and will require only five minutes to cook on your
stove top. Instant grits,
on the other hand, have been fully cooked and then dehydrated, so they take only a minute to reconstitute. Because of that, less liquid is absorbed much faster. Therefore, if you use Instant grits as I did on this occasion, increase the amount of grits to one cup (three single-serve pouches) and
decrease the amount of chicken stock and white wine to 1/2 cup each. Keep the full cup of milk.
By the way, you can use traditional grits, too, which take 20 minutes to cook. Follow the package directions for the ratio of liquid to grits with one part each of milk, white wine and chicken stock.
I used Pancetta on this occasion because I had some on hand, but standard American bacon works well, too.
Originally, I served this dish along side another recipe, Haricot Vert Cucumber Salad, which was crisp and bright, and an outstanding accompaniment to the earthy savoriness of the shrimp and grits. Click here to go to that recipe, which I modified from a post on cooks.com. But a simple arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette works well as an accompaniment, too.
Ingredients
For the shrimp
4 oz Pancetta or bacon, diced
1/2 large shallot, minced
2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Creole Seasonings (like, Zatarain's)
1 tsp paprika
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 heaping tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
2 green onions, chopped
Ingredients
For the grits
2/3 cup Quick grits (or 1 cup Instant grits)
1/2 large shallot minced
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, dried or fresh, rough chopped
1 cup whole milk (or substitute 3/4 cup of 1-2% milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream)
1 cup chicken stock (like, Swanson's - 1/2 cup if using Instant grits)
1 cup dry white wine (1/2 cup if using Instant grits)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (like, the Kraft green can)
2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated into slivers for garnish
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
The Recipes
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Then toss in the pancetta. Sauté for 5 minutes. Toss the minced shallot into the hot oil and sauté until they begin to caramelize, another 5 minutes.
Add the shrimp, paprika and the Creole seasonings, and sauté over medium high heat until the shrimp turn pink, about five minutes. Add the garlic, chicken stock and white wine and reduce the heat to medium low. When the liquid starts to simmer, add a couple of tablespoons of the dissolved corn starch and bring the mixture back to the simmer. Continue slowly adding the dissolved corn starch until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Keep the dish covered on low heat while you make the grits.
If you're using dried shiitake mushrooms, you will need to reconstitute them by soaking them in boiling water or chicken stock for 20 minutes, then drain and chop. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, then toss in the shallots. Sauté for about three minutes, then add the mushrooms. Sauté for another five minutes until they begin to caramelize.
Add the milk, chicken stock, salt and white wine to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grits and turn off the heat. Stir until the grits thicken and absorb all the liquid, about five minutes (just a minute or two if you're using Instant grits). Add the one cup of grated Parmesan cheese and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir well to combine.
Toss the green onions into the shrimp mixture just before serving. Plate up the grits, then top with the shrimp. Garnish with the slivers of Parmesan cheese.
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