Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits…

I can’t really call this a New Orleans recipe,  because it’s kind of my personal interpretation of what I would call a New Orleans dish.  Quite honestly, even though I’ve lived and cooked in New Orleans my entire life, I’ve never had this dish prepare by anyone but myself, so I can’t say I have any real comparison for it.  With the exception of my own twists on this. 

I’ll say this much, this recipe has become one of my favorite things to cook.  

One point of note; however, in the video attached this, I use chicken  stock and chicken base instead of shrimp.  I’m not living on the coast, and couldn’t find the stock in a can.  Nor was I able to locate fresh New Orleans shrimp that were not pealed.  I always use New Orleans or Gulf of Mexico shrimp, and all I could find were shrimp that had already been peeled and deveined, so I was unable to make a stock.  If you are able to make a stock or buy shrimp stock please do so.  However; if you are unable to, chicken stock is a decent substitute.  (To my fellow Cajuns, please do not crucify me) 

Now onto the recipe:

1 pound of andouille(half diced and half cut in half moons)

1 pound of shrimp (extra jumbo or 20-25 count) 

1 large yellow onion diced 

1/2 large green bell pepper  diced

1/2 large orange or red bell pepper diced 

2 stalks celery diced 

5-6 toes garlic minced 

1 bushel green onion sliced thin (save the bottoms for garnish) 

Parsley and oregano chopped fine

Worcester sauce

Pickapeppa or crystal hot sauce 

Salt  pepper garlic 

Cajun seasoning (slap ya momma or piyyyaa)

Cayenne pepper 

Butter 

2-3 tablespoons of flour 

Shrimp stock – Chicken stock if you must 

Shrimp base or chicken base if you must 

Heavy cream 

Grits: 

Grits 

Stock 

Milk 

Butter 

Cheese – use the real block cheese and shred it DO NOT USE PRE-shredded CHEESE.  You will regret it.  It will get lumpy and funky.  I use Colby jack or white cheddar  

Season the shrimp with minced garlic, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside for up to 6 hours beforehand. Save between 6 and 8 shrimp to sauté separately as a garnish 

Get your cast iron good and hot and drop in a few knobs of butter.  Once the butter is melted add in the andouille and cook to render down the fat then remove. 

Once the sausage is removed add in the trinity, season it with Cajun seasoning, salt pepper and garlic and some extra cracked pepper, then cook it down.  Once the onions are translucent and the trinity is cooked down by half, add in more butter and some flour, keep stirring until you have a caramel colored roux and then add in a cup of stock and get in incorporated, add in stock until you have a thick liquid about the consistency of oatmeal and then add in sausage, herbs, garlic, Worcester sauce, hot sauce snd green onion.  Add enough stock just to loosen it a little and keep working the mixture until it is up to a boil.  Put a top on it and let it simmer for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally. 

After 30 minutes start your grits. 

Once the you have the liquid for the grits over fire, head back to the sauce and add in the heavy cream and some cayenne pepper.   Slowly bring it back to a boil and let it simmer another 15 minutes.  

When the grits are done remove them from the heat and heat up another skillet.  

While the new skillet is heating up add the shrimp to the sauce, and fold them in.  Once they are pink shut off the heat. 

By now the grits have setup and you can add the freshly grated cheese, fold the cheese in and let the ambient heat melt it. 

Go back to the now hot skillet and add 2 knobs of butter and sauté the garnish shrimp. 

Plate it up with the grits on the bottom, topped with the sauce and garnish with the sauté shrimp and green onion bottoms. 

Enjoy!!!