Fresh Corn Grits with Shrimp & Roasted Pecan Butter

Another Easter weekend food tradition in our family is to eat shrimp and grits as a celebration of one of our favorite places- Charleston, South Carolina. The spring sunshine reminds me of how lovely it is there. It is a particularly special place for us because it’s where my husband and I met. ❤ Charleston is also an incredible food city.

I really like the story behind this amazing version. Apparently, it was created on Top Chef season 5 by Jeff McInnis, owner of Miami’s Yardbird restaurant. He was challenged to create a shrimp and grits dish without using grits. He made fresh corn “grits” using fresh corn, but, the best part was that he incorporated pecan butter in the grits because of a memory of eating fresh nut butter from his grandmother’s pecan tree. The fresh nut butter put this dish over the top. Delicious. I wish that I had the imagination to dream up a dish like this one.

This was my husband’s favorite shrimp and grits (thus far), and I’ve made quite a few versions. I pointed out that it may be because this dish didn’t actually have grits. 🙂 This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Jeff McInnis. I increased the amount of fresh corn in the grits and slightly increased the amount of prosciutto. Next time, I may reduce the amount of lager. I may increase the amount of grits as well- we wanted more!

Yield: Serves 4

For the Roasted Pecan Butter:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1/2 tsp canola oil
• coarse salt, to taste

For the Grits:

• 6 large ears of corn, shucked and coarsely grated on a box grater (2 cups pulp and juice)
• 1/4 cup milk, plus more for stirring/serving, as desired
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• roasted pecan butter (about 1/4 cup), directions below

For the Shrimp Sauté:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto, cut into strips
• 1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup lager, to taste (I used 1 cup but may reduce it next time)
• lemon wedges, for serving, optional

Make the Roasted Pecan Butter:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Roast the pecans about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.
3. Process toasted pecans in a mini food processor with canola oil until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. Season with salt to taste.

Make the Grits:

1. In a saucepan, simmer the grated corn and juices with the 1/4 cup of milk over moderate heat, stirring, until thick, 4 minutes.
2. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the pecan butter; keep warm.

Make the Shrimp Sauté:

1. In a large, deep skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
2. Add the prosciutto and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, snap peas and corn, season with salt and pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they just begin to curl, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the lager and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
7. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

To Serve:

1. Whisk a little milk into the grits so it’s the consistency of polenta; heat until warm.
2. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls, top with the shrimp sauté and serve at once.
3. Serve with lemon wedges, as desired.

One Year Ago: Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Grits

Two Years Ago: Classic Shrimp & Grits

Three Years Ago: Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits

Four Years Ago: Shrimp & Grits with Tomatoes

Five Years Ago: Hominy Grill’s Shrimp & Grits

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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