26 March 2011

Shrimp and Grits

The camera died right before this picture. I had to rely on the iPhone. Not cool.

     Let me preface this by saying that this is one of the greatest dishes to ever leave a southern kitchen. There are two ingredients that are competely nailed down - the shrimp and the grits. Other than that, the rest is left up to different tastes. In fact, my brother has an awesome take on this classic that's completely different from mine. He's big on the use of red bell pepper. Frankly, it's awesome. That's what I like about this dish - it's a "blank canvas" type of recipe.
     Officially, this was not on the menu for tonight, but Heather dropped a not-so-subtle hint that she might want to feast on one of the all-time greats. I was obliged to change my plans concerning she is southern born and bred but just tried grits for the first time in her life a mere two months ago. Yeah, that fact hit me like a Mack truck. Just when you think you know someone...
     I decided to tweak the recipe just a bit by going with polenta rather than grits. All in all, you could say corn is corn, but the polenta has a finer grain than does official stone ground grits. Other than that, I stuck pretty close to Bill Neal's recipe. He was a rock 'n' roll star of southern cuisine, and his Crook's Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC served up tons of shrimp and grits. If you get a chance, try the dish at The Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC. It's just about the same recipe. In all honesty, it lives up to the hype.
     Alright y'all, let's get to it!


The Shrimp
3 slices of bacon
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 lb. wild-caught shrimp (preferably from the Gulf), save the shells
2 tbsp. Tobasco sauce
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste)

The Grits (but really it's polenta)
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1 c. plain yellow cornmeal
2 c. boiling water
1/4 c. milk

Other
1 shot of Kentucky bourbon
This is not officially part of the recipe. Use your imagination.

The gang's all here.


Don't let the grass grow under your feet - get on it!
     Start off by heating up your skillet to medium heat. The beautiful thing about bacon is that it comes packed with it's own grease. Cook the strips of bacon until they are crispy and remove to a paper towel-covered plate. Crumble the strips when they are cool enough to handle. As always, save the grease.

     Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Toss the shrimp shells around in the bacon grease for a couple of minutes, discard them, and replace them with the garlic. After a minute or two, add the onion and cook until it begins to get a bit soft. Toss in the mushrooms, and turn your attention to other things.

Shrimp shells in bacon grease. And the angels rejoice.

     I admit that I added a bit of salt, garlic powder, and paprika to the tablespoon of flour, but it's up to you what you want to do to season the shrimp. Toss them around in the flour, shaking off any excess. At the same time, whisk the cornmeal into one cup of water and a teaspoon of salt in a small pot or saucepan. Add in 2 cups of boiling water, and whisk until smooth.


     Bring the cornmeal and water mixture to medium heat. It will thicken as it warms. It is very important that you continue to whisk the mixture continuously throughout the entire process. When it starts to get a bit stiff, remove from heat and whisk in the milk. It will be creamy and delicious. Give it a taste if you want - no one is looking!


     Remove the vegetables from the skillet, and add the shrimp until cooked through. This will only take a few minutes. Now you're finished and ready go to the plate.


     In a shallow bowl, scoop in the polenta. Spoon in the garlic, onions, and mushrooms and top with the shrimp. Pour about a tablespoon of Tobasco sauce over the whole thing and sprinkle on the crumbled bacon. If you really want to bring every nuance of flavor out of this dish, squeeze a lemon wedge over it all. Don't believe me? Try a before-and-after bite.

     Fork or spoon - it's your choice. And feel free to rest your elbows on the table. Eat up, y'all!

No comments: