Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits is a southern staple. Depending on the region and the chef, the recipe varies drastically. Some sauces are similar to etoufee, a broth, a red sauce, or something in between. I like to make mine with a tomatoey, chickeny broth. I like to saturate the grits with as much cheddar cheese as physically possible because cheese is delicious. I’ve made this for friends and all over the country. As my grandpa would say, it’s a solid B+, which is high praise, and he requests it every time I visit.

Ingredients

• Shrimp (raw)
• Scallops (raw) (Optional)
• Mushrooms (Optional)
• Brussel Sprouts (Optional)
• Artichokes (Optional)
• Bell Pepper (Optional
• Garlic
• Onion
• 3 large Tomatoes or 8 oz package of cherry tomatoes
• Bay Leaf
• 3 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 1 tbs. Honey
• Olive Oil
• 1 cup Grits or Yellow Cornmeal
• ½ cup Milk
• 1 tbs Butter
• 1 ½ cup Water
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese (or more to taste) 
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°
• Chop mushrooms/bell peppers into bite sized pieces. Half brussel sprouts and artichokes. Place on a cookie sheet and coat veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15 minutes or until browned.
• Chop onions and garlic. Cook in sauce pan with 2 tbs. olive oil until translucent. Add in cumin, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. You can add more or less spices depending on your tastes. 
• Chop tomatoes if using large/Toss in whole cherry tomatoes into the pan with the garlic and onions. Add one tbs. of water. Cover and let simmer for five minutes.
• In medium saucepan bring water, milk, butter to a boil. Slowly add grits or yellow cornmeal, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. Let mixture come to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning. 
• Tomatoes should reduce and have a decent amount of liquid being very saucy. Add ½ cup water and stir to mix. 
• Make sure to be checking grits. When the liquid is almost gone….
• Add shrimp and scallops to tomato mixture. Cover. Shrimp and scallops should be thoroughly cooked in five minutes. 
• Stir cheese into grits. Cover and set aside. 
• When shrimp and scallops are done, add the roasted veggies to the tomato/shrimp/scallop sauce.

To Eat
Place grits in a bowl or plate, then ladle a generous portion of the shrimp/scallops/veggies tomato sauce on top. You can garnish with green onions or chives. Dig in!!!

Variation
You can always add in some andouille sausage to give it a NOLA kick or just add some extra yum.
I also love playing with the veggies you use. You can use as many or as few kinds of veggies as you want. In my opinion, the more the better!