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Shrimp and Grits with Pimento Cheese


  • Author: Geoff

Description

Shrimp and Pimento Cheese Grits will transport you right to the beautiful low country of Coastal South Carolina.


Ingredients

Scale

For the grits: Please note – I prefer stoneground grits to quick grits, but if you need to save time, quick grits are an option. Make sure to follow the box’s recipe as it will differ in liquid to grits ratio and cooking time.

  • 5 1/2 cups of water
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups of yellow or white stone-ground grits
  • 5 ounces of cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup of Reggiano parmesan
  • 4 ounces of full-fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced – please note – jarred or canned are fine, but if you want to roast and peel your own, it’s 3 whole red peppers.
  • 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of red chile flakes

For the shrimp marinade:

  • 2 pounds of medium wild-caught-US-shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on
  • 1 lemon, zest (optional), and the juice strained of seeds and pulp
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

For the sauce:

  • 1 pound of andouille sausage, halved length-ways and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 green peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced or grated
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 3 tablespoons of flour
  • 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth.
  • 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • kosher salt to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

        Mix the polenta

  1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepot, bring the water and milk to a boil. Using a whisk, add grits slowly while whisking vigorously. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and continue to stir intermittently with a wooden spoon for at least one hour.  The grits will get creamy as they cook. Check the texture, as you may need more or less time. Note: I know an hour is a long time, but you will be preparing the rest of the dish during this time and you can set the table, have a glass of wine, and enjoy some conversation with your loved ones! Mixing in the garnish
  2. When the grits have reached the desired consistency fold in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, cayenne, chile flakes, and roasted peppers. Check seasoning. Remove from the heat and cover.
  3.  In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper. Add the garlic cloves and shrimp. cover and refrigerate.                                                                                                                                                   Andouille for Shrimp and Grits
  4. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil to shimmer, and add the Andouille. Reduce the heat to medium and occasionally stir until browned. Remove the Andouille from the pan, leaving the oil.          Shrimp and Grits Veg
  5. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic to the pan and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the sausage and shrimp and set aside off the heat.                                                                                    Shrimp and Grits Roux
  6. In a small saucepot or saute pan, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour. This will create a roux. Cook the roux, slowly until it reaches a dark color, about 10 minutes.                                         
  7. slowly add the broth stirring with a wooden spoon.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and the hot sauce. 
  8. Cook the roux for 5 minutes at a simmer.                                                                                                                  Shrimp and Grits Sauce Addition                                   
  9. Add the roux to the pan with the shrimp, veggies, and andouille. Cook over medium heat, just until the shrimp turns pink. About 5-6 minutes. Note – watch this step closely, as it is very important that the shrimp do not get overcooked. 
  10. Make sure the grits are hot. Ladle the grits onto the plate. Use the bottom of the ladle to make a space in the middle of the grits to pool the sauce and evenly distribute the shrimp to each plate. Spoon the remaining ingredients on top of the shrimp.                                                                                        Shrimp and Pimento Cheese Grits
  11. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and enjoy!                                        Shrimp and Pimento Cheese Grits