Calabrian Shrimp & Grits
Grits are an ingredient that I learned to make very early on in my career. They are incredibly versatile with many ways to incorporate loads of flavor. I typically use Anson Mills medium white quick grits, they are ground finer than your typical grit making the texture velvety and perfect. My husband prefers using Marsh Hen Mills, making it a house divided. Marsh Hen Mills are also super tasty and high quality, so I decided to leave my comfort zone and give them a shot. For this recipe, we are using Marsh Hen Mill Jimmy Red Grits.
Shrimp and grits is a well-known dish, that we have all seen many iterations of. It is one of my favorite dishes to eat and make. I have explored various spins on the dish at my restaurant, such as adding an egg during brunch service or swapping the shrimp for soft-shell crab during the summer months. For this recipe, I took a ‘surf and turf’ angle on the classic dish.
My good friend Cassie recently launched a sausage company (Lottie’s Meats) with her sister Chelsea, also a fellow chef and CIA alum. In launching the company, I had to get my hands on their products and start whipping up some dishes ASAP. In eating their Calabrian ground sausage, shrimp instantly came to mind. I love pairing shrimp with Calabrian chilis. Typically I make a Calabrian chili beurre monte (butter sauce) and serve that over grilled prawns. With all of that top of mind, I decided to make this meaty version of shrimp and grits using Lottie’s ground Calabrian sausage.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ pounds shrimp, shells on
1 cup yellow onion, small dice
½ cup celery, small dice
½ cup green pepper, small dice
¼ cup scallions, sliced
2 tbsp parsley, minced
3 ea garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp butter
Grits:
2 cups chicken stock (water is fine too)
½ cup grits
½ cup whole milk
2 tbsp butter
½ cup cream cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
TT Salt
DIRECTIONS:
Cook the grits: Bring the chicken stock to a boil. While boiling, whisk the grits into the liquid. Whisk until the grits are back to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Make sure to stir the grits every couple of minutes so they do not scorch. If you are noticing they are getting a little stiff, add a little more stock or water to loosen them up.
Prep the shrimp: Peel the shells off the shrimp, and save the shells. Devein the shrimp by using a pairing knife and toothpick to get the black vein out from the top of the shrimp. To do this, cut a little incision along the top, scrape and pull the vein out. (You can sometimes find shrimp that has the shell on but has already been deveined.)
Mise the aromatics: Small dice the holy trinity (AKA Cajun mirepoix…this includes a 2:1 ratio of onion, celery and green bell pepper). Mince the parsley and garlic. Slice the scallions. Keep all of these ingredients separate.
Put it all together: On medium-high heat, brown the Calabrian ground pork. Let the meat caramelize and render out the fat from the meat. Once fully cooked, take the meat out of the pan leaving the fat in the pan. Toast the shrimp shells in the calabrian pork fat. Let the shrimp flavors permeate into the fat. Once cooked, take the shells out and at this point you may toss the shells. In the flavored fat, saute the onions followed by the peppers and celery. At the end of cooking, add the minced garlic and parsley. Season with salt. Once tender, take the vegetables out of the pan and set aside. Cook the shrimp in the flavored fat until fully cooked. Take the shrimp out and set aside. Deglaze the hot pan with chicken stock, scraping all of the brown flavor (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Once deglazed, bring to a simmer and let reduce slightly. On low heat, mount the butter into the sauce and emulsify the butter so that it has a creamy consistency. Add the cooked vegetables, and pork blend into the sauce, stir to combine.
To plate: Put the grits into a bowl. Top with some of the sausage mixture and shrimp. Garnish with the scallions. Enjoy!