Jamie's Favorite Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

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Being a girl raised in the south, despite both parents being transplants, grits were a staple in my breakfast repertoire.  I can remember when I was first introduced to the concept of grits for dinner.  Despite my skepticism, I gave shrimp and grits a try at Fishbones restaurant in Greensboro, NC.  Not only was it love at first bite, I also perfected the way of ordering the dish.  David and I still frequent Fishbones to this day, but the first time we dined there together he found my ordering habits comical.  I rarely request meal modifications so it threw him off that I specified for the sauce on the side.  I quickly explained it wasn’t that I didn’t like their interpretation of shrimp and grits, I just liked thick grits like gumbo instead of them being more soupy.  This was all the challenge David needed to master “Jamie’s Favorite Shrimp and Grits.”  Let’s just say, his is my new #1.  

SHOPPING LIST:

1C Stone Mill Grits

4C Water

1/4C Parmesan Reggiano

1/4C Cheddar or Monterey Jack

1LB Shrimp ( 10/15 preferred ) 

1 Shallot finely chopped ( Sub onion if your out of shallots )

3 Garlic cloves

2 Carrots

2 Ribs of Celery 

1 Jalapeno 

1/2 Green Pepper

1 Bunch Cilantro 

1T Cumin

1T Paprika

1t Dried Mustard

1/4t Cayenne 

1/2t Coriander

 1/2t  Red Pepper Flakes

1 Bottle of light beer

1 Lime

3T EVOO

Part One: The Cheesy Grits

Do not use instant grits for this recipe!  The cooking gods will strike you down preventing you from ever cooking again.  Now that we have that out of the way, please go buy good quality stone ground grits.  If you live in Greensboro, Bestway sells Guilford Mill grits.  That is what we normally stock at the house.  Bring 4C of water and 1C of grits to a light boil while stirring frequently so they will not stick.  Then cover and turn the heat to low for 20-30 minutes, until thick.  Add 1/4C Parmesan Reggiano, 1/4C Cheddar or Monterey Jack and mix.  Then season with S&P to taste. The Parmesan is salty so be careful on the salt.  Remember, more can be added later.  Begin the grits before you start cooking the veggie and shrimp mixture to look like a pro with your timing. 

Quick tip!  Start the night before if your week allows you to plan ahead.  Before you go to sleep add 4C of water to 1C of grits.  Cover and leave overnight until you are ready to use the next day and it will speed up the process.  

Part Two: The Shrimp and Veggies

To prep, you will need to finely chop one shallot ( you can sub a sweet onion like we did this go around ), mince three garlic cloves, peel and chop two carrots and two ribs of celery into ¼” pieces, dice 1/2 green pepper, dice one jalapeno, chop 2T of cilantro and juice one lime. Set these aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix 1T cumin, 1T paprika, 1/4t cayenne, 1/2t red pepper flakes, 1t dried mustard and 1/2t coriander.  Open two bottles of light beer, start to drink one and reserve the other for cooking.  

Next, shell and devein 1lb of shrimp. If you are new to this start slow.  To devein, you will need a pairing knife or small sharp knife.  Run the knife roughly 1/8” through the “backbone” of the shrimp.  Once this is done pull the small string of doo-doo out.  You don’t have to do this but the shrimp may taste a little gritty.  

Quick Tip! If you need to thaw your shrimp, put them in a large bowl and fill with cold water, not warm.  Change out the water every fifteen minutes for about an hour.

In a medium sized pot add 3T of EVOO or grapeseed oil.  Heat on medium-high.  Once it starts to shimmer, add the prepped shallot, garlic, carrots, celery, jalapeno and 1t of salt. Cook until it starts to soften, 4-5 minutes. Next add the spice mixture. Mix often for two-three minutes. Make sure to keep this moving to prevent the spices from scorching. By this time you should be finished with your cold (drinking) beer, so add the reserve beer to the pot and turn the heat to high.  Cook for another five minutes.  Add the cilantro, limejuice, and shrimp to the mixture and turn to medium-low.  Cover for five minutes longer. Once time is up, take off the heat.

Now for the fun part! Add cheesy grits to a deep bowl and ladle as much as you want of the veggie and shrimp mixture over the grits.  Garnish with additional cilantro,  Parmigiano and season with S&P.  Enjoy!  I love to pair this dinner with a good IPA. 

 

CHEERS!