Sunday, March 22, 2015

Low Country Shrimp and Grits




Inspired by local South Carolina seafood and cuisine, I finally decided to tackle a Low Country Shrimp and Grits recipe and see what I could come up with.

I'm a huge advocate of supporting local farms and markets, so it's no surprise I chose South Carolina Wild Caught Shrimp I recently purchased from Off the Hook Seafood Market for this dish, and stone ground grits from Palmetto Farms.

Additionally I used Chesapeake Bay Rub, a spice blend from a chef friend of mine, Adam, of Fein Tasting Foods. The results are amazing. 


RECIPE
Ingredients
For the grits:
1 cup stone ground grits
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbls. butter
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Course ground black pepper, to taste

For the shrimp:
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbls. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2-3 tsp. Chesapeake Bay Rub
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce sauce
1/3 cup white wine
few dashes parsley flakes

Method
To prepare the grits, in a large sauce pan over medium heat, combine the grits, water, chicken stock, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and course-ground pepper.

Peel and devein shrimp. In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Toss in the garlic and saute' until the garlic is just slightly browning.

Add the shrimp, Chesapeake Bay Rub, salt and pepper, stirring well. Add white wine, lemon juice and hot sauce; cook until shrimp is pink and heated through.

Remove from heat and serve over grits. Sprinkle on some parsley flakes; serve immediately.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Enjoy,

Mary