I first tasted this very Southern dish while visiting friends in Florida. I had never heard of Shrimp and Grits before then, and I loved it. Since that time I have made this dish several times, each time improving to my tastes. I also found that grits may be interchanged with polenta, which is more common in the north. The recipe calls for grits, but if you have polenta in your pantry, try my Creamy Polenta instead.
Ingredients
- 6 large raw shrimp
Shrimp Sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 small finely diced onion
- 1/2 red diced bell pepper
- 1/2 green diced bell pepper
- 3 cloves grated garlic
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Grits
- 1/2 cup quick cooking grits
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting recipe
Shrimp Sauce
- Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet over medium high heat and add 1/2 small finely diced onion, 1/2 red diced bell pepper and 1/2 green diced bell pepper. Sauté for 6-8 minutes or until the peppers and onions begin to soften.
- Add 3 cloves grated garlic to the vegetables and cook for another minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir to combine. Then add 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce and 1/4 cup chicken stock, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium high and place shrimp on top of the vegetable mixture and cook until the shrimp turns pink on the first side, about 4-5 minutes. Then turn the shrimp to the second side and cook again until the shrimp turns pink.
- Remove shrimp to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Return cooked shrimp to the shrimp sauce, increase heat to medium high to warm through for 2-3 minutes.
Grits
- When the shrimp sauce is finished, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat.
- Add 1/2 cup quick cooking grits in a steady stream and whisk with a wire whisk until it starts to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add 1 pinch kosher salt, 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp heavy cream and stir to combine. Then add 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese and stir with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted and has been fully incorporated. About 3-4 minutes.
Serving
- Ladle grits onto serving plates, top with a generous spoonful of shrimp sauce then top the sauce with 3 shrimps per person.
