Hello everyone,
Shrimp and grits for dinner? For lunch? For breakfast? Yes please and if you have objections try this recipe, you will not have any afterward, that is for sure!
I personally vote for breakfast. Oatmeal and fruits are great, but sometimes (only sometimes) you want to get a big happy tasty warm bowl of something that will make you happy and full. Shrimp and grits fit into all the described above categories. It will keep you full until late lunch, it will warm you up with heartwarming creole spices, it will make you happy because it’s simply delicious. Dietologists say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this one is the one to die for.
Here is the plan for you. Prepare shrimps in the creole sauce the day before (the taste will get only better overnight. Wake up and go to the kitchen right away. Put your oven to 350 degrees; pour water into the pot, while waiting for it to start boiling brush your teeth. Finished brushing? Water is boiling by now add a pinch of salt, slowly add polenta in small portions, stirring constantly, cover with lid, put in the oven, set the timer for 45 min and go do your regular morning routine.
Come back in 45 minutes, take polenta out of the oven. Heat up the bowl of creole shrimp in the microwave or in the pot over the stove. Serve polenta (grits) with your shrimp creole on top. Enjoy your fully satisfying Southern breakfast Lenten style!
“…From Native American roots to a 1980s restaurant review and now cookbooks and festivals, the once humble dish continues to spread through the South and beyond. Surprisingly while eating grits has a rich and deep history in the South, the popular combination of shrimp and grits in more upscale cuisine is fairly recent. Grit’s origins come from the Native American Muskogee tribe’s preparation of Indian corn similar to hominy. Traditionally from the southeastern woodlands, the Muskogee would grind the corn in the stone mill, giving it the “gritty” texture we are all familiar with. From this tribe? The preparation was passed down to settlers in the area because hominy was used as a form of currency. Since then, shrimp and grits had remained a breakfast dish found mainly in the low country marshes near the Southern coast. However in 1982, when Bill Neal became a chef at Crooks Corner, a restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he forever changed the status of shrimp and grits. After Crag Claiborne of the New York Times visited the restaurant and published Neal’s recipe in 1985, the once humble dish started gaining widespread popularity. Shrimp and grits were spreading throughout the South by the mid-1990s and also popping up in the fine dining restaurants as a dinner entrée. Because of its versatility, there are multiple variations of the dish, that can be found throughout the country depending on local ingredients and preferences.
With the combination of fresh shrimp, creamy grits and your choice of topping… (Lenten Topping ;)) shrimp and grits is bound to remain a fundamental Southern dish that will continue to expand its recognition and acclaim.” – Deep South Magazine
After eating this incredible meal, you will become a pinch happier, I promise!
Bon Appétit!
Shrimp and grits
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 onion
- 2 sticks cellery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 tbsp creole spice (see recipe below)
- 1 lb shrimp
- 2 tbsp parsley
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients
- In a heavy bottomed 6-8 quart pot or deep cast iron skillet heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot gradually stir in the flour. Cook over a medium heat stirring constantly using a wooden spoon for about 10 min or when the roux turns the color of peanut butter. Do not allow roux to stick to the bottom of the pot. If the roux sticks or burns discard and start over otherwise it will give the finished dish a bitter and scorched taste.Peel and chop onions, celery, bell pepper, parsley.
- When the roux is the color of peanut butter add onions and celery and saute for about 10 min.
- When the onions are translucent add tomato sauce, slowly add water stirring as you pour. Be careful not to leave lumps. Continue to stir add garlic, bell pepper, thyme, parsley, Creole seasoning and simmer for 5 min
- Lower the fire and add the cleaned shrimp. Simmer stirring constantly until shrimps are done for 3-4 min.
- Serve over rice, spaghetti or polenta. Garnish with parsley. Bon Appétit!
