Shrimp and Grits
This is probably my most important recipe. It is the first recipe I developed and the one that has gone through the most iterations. I have to thank my family, my culinary guinea pigs, who have suffered through many terrible dishes, including my first failed attempt at a roux, a dish they named “butter soup.” I’ve come a long way from my butter soup days, but still mess up frequently. Not too long ago I made this dish for my brother’s now fiance and somehow used powdered sugar instead of flour, resulting in a spectacular failure with a side of confused melt-down.
My shrimp and grits are my favorite rendition of the dish. My version composes all the elements of the dish that I like the best. My gravy is front and center. It is smooth and burnt orange from the hot sauce and sits on top of the buttery and slow-cooked grits. I finely dice up the holy trinity because I want them to melt into the gravy. And I cook my rue not far past medium - not because that's the "proper" way to do it. I've given up on the proper way. I cook my rue just past medium because that's how I like it. I don't use sausage or bacon because my brother and sister don't eat pork. I don't add cream or cheese because my wife is lactose-intolerant. And that's how my family likes it. You can, and should, add and adjust to your own liking. .
Starting the grits first and letting them go low and slow, stirring often, makes them creamy and thick from the starch. If you aren’t planning to add cream, I suggest trying to find the best and freshest stone-ground grits you can. If you live in a place where they don’t have grits (I lived in Boston for two years so yes, there are places without grits) I suggest ordering fresh grits from Southern Queen Farms or a place like Buffaloe Milling Co.
But enough about the grits. The focus is on the gravy. This recipe is inspired by the diner version which really made me curious about food. It’s the dish that was the center of my first deep dive into culinary history and what food tells us about the migration of people and cultures. This is not a quick dish, the gravy should be allowed to simmer and perfume your entire kitchen. If you cannot smell the deep, smokey gravy and the sweet corn from the grits, it’s not ready yet.
As far as the shrimp, use whatever you like. Fresh and local is always great if that’s an option, but don’t sweat it.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, diced and/or a shallot, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
A few teaspoons of olive oil
2 cups of shrimp or lobster stock (warmed up)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoons Liquid smoke OR 1/4 cup smoked mushrooms (omit if using sausage or bacon)
Hot sauce
Parsley
Shrimp (about a pound)
1 tablespoon seasoning mix (store-bought cajun seasoning, old bay, a proprietary blend, whatever you like)
1/4 c stoneground grits
Instructions:
Bring 1 cup of water to boil and stir in grits. Lower heat to simmer, add salt, and cover. Stir frequently and add water if needed.
Season shrimp and set aside.
Add olive oil to a heavy bottom pot set at medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until onions become translucent and vegetables lose their liquid, about 15 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Add tomato paste, stirring to combine with vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent tomato paste from burning.
Add butter and allow to melt. Once melted, add half of the flour. Stir to ensure the flour is evenly coated in butter and incorporated with the vegetable. Once thoroughly coated, add the remaining flour, again stirring the make sure there are no dry lumps of flour. Cook the roux and vegetable mix for 10 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Because of the tomato paste, you won’t be able to tell when the roux is done simply by the color. Instead, watch the consistency of the roux. Around the 10-minute mark, the roux should become loose. Try running a wooden spoon on the bottom of the pot. The roux should be thick enough that you can see the bottom of the pot, but loose enough that it quickly fills back in.
Once your roux is ready, slowly add half of the warm broth. Stir to ensure there are no lumps and add the remaining broth.
Add remaining seasonings, liquid smoke, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
Turn heat to low, cover pot, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Once you’re ready to serve, lightly saute or grill shrimp and add to gravy.
