Shrimp & Grits with Garlicky Roasted Poblano-Jalapeño Sauce

Annually, we treat ourselves to Southern shrimp and grits over Easter weekend. This year, I served the special dish using purple “unicorn” grits from Millers All Day in Charleston, South Carolina. Festive!

This version was topped with a spicy and garlicky roasted poblano-jalapeño sauce which had a terrific balance with the rich, cheesy grits. The shrimp was also cooked in garlic oil. It was a great variation to try for the garlic and sauce lovers in my house. 🙂 The recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Marc Meyer. I modified the method and proportions.

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup whole milk 
• coarse salt 
• 1 cup stone-ground white grits (I used stone-ground unicorn grits)
• 2 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup) 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1 jalapeño chile 
• 1 poblano chile
• 5 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced 
• 5 T extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 T freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1/2 an orange)
• freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp, patted dry (I used 21-25 count per pound)

1. Place oven rack in the highest position and set to broil. Place the jalapeño and poblano chiles on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until blackened all over, about 3 minutes per side.
2. Remove from the oven and wrap in the foil. Allow to steam and cool for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins. Stem and seed the chiles.
3. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil with a pinch of salt. (I used an enameled cast iron pot.)
4. Whisk in the grits and cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the grits are tender and very thick, about 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the milk, cheese, and butter. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. (I used about 1/2 tsp salt.) Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then keep warm.
6. In a small skillet, cook the garlic in the olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the garlic is softened and very lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a blender. Add the chiles and the orange juice and puree until smooth. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and puree until creamy. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. (I used a Vitamix.)
8. Pat the shrimp dry and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of garlic oil. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
9. Heat a very large skillet until very hot, about 2 minutes.
10. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook until browned and just cooked through, about 45 seconds to 1 minute per side.
11. To serve, spoon the grits into bowls and top with sauce and shrimp. Serve additional sauce at the table.

Herby Polenta with Corn, Eggs, & Feta

This is another wonderful one-pot vegetarian baked egg casserole that can be served any time of day. The title of the New York Times article about it was, “Polenta That You’ll Never Need to Stir: Baking a classic in a sea of eggs and cheese gives it complexity.” Irresistible. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Yotam Ottolenghi. I used my special grits from Charleston, South Carolina instead of polenta. I also increased the amount of garlic, reduced the red pepper flakes, and kept the corn kernels whole. I loved all of the brightness from the combination of fresh herbs. Delicious!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 9 ounces (255 g) frozen corn kernels (about 2 cups), defrosted
• 6 to 7 ounces (~200 g) baby spinach (about 10 lightly packed cups), roughly torn or sliced
• 1 cup (150 g) coarse cornmeal (grits or polenta)
• 1 packed cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced, 2 T reserved for garnish
• 1/4 cup (20 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 T finely chopped and reserved for garnish
• 3 T roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 T roughly chopped fresh dill
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups (530 ml) whole milk
• 2 cups (475 ml) chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 3 T (40 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 5 ounces (140 g) Greek feta, roughly crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 8 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
• warm naan, pita, or crusty bread, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 375°F/200°C, preferably on convection.
2. If desired, add the corn to a food processor and pulse once or twice, just until roughly chopped. (I opted to leave the kernels whole.)
3. In a large bowl, combine the corn, spinach, cornmeal, Parmesan, scallions, 1/4 cup cilantro, parsley, dill, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper; stir to combine.
4. Transfer this mixture to a large, deep, oven-proof skillet, then add the milk, stock and butter, stirring gently to mix through. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.)
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and give everything a good whisk.
6. Return to the oven and bake until the cornmeal is cooked through and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Give the polenta another good whisk — it should be quite smooth and not completely set — then stir in half the feta.
7. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F/220°C, preferably on convection.
8. Use a dinner spoon to make 8 shallow wells in the polenta. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
9. Sprinkle the remaining feta all over, and bake until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, 10 to 15 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, combine the reserved scallions and cilantro in a bowl with the oil. Spoon this mixture all over the polenta and eggs and sprinkle with the red-pepper flakes, if desired. Serve directly from the pan.

Shrimp & Grits with Mustard Seed Chowchow

Charleston, South Carolina is a very special place for me. As a tribute, I make a lot of Southern food. 🙂 I also make shrimp and grits as part of our traditional Easter celebration.

We were lucky enough to travel back to Charleston recently and we brought home a couple of different types of grits. The fresh from South Carolina grits really made this dish extra special. I also baked the grits for the first time and the results were amazing. I used a blend of stone ground white and yellow grits for this dish, but, I also have special pink “unicorn grits” from Millers All Day which I’ll be sure to share with you in another dish.

This dish is from a Food and Wine “staff-favorite” recipe, contributed by Isaac Toups of Toups South in New Orleans. It was absolutely incredible. (We need to go to his restaurant!)  It may be quite difficult to try a new version next year. I served it with roasted asparagus. Lovely.

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 pound peeled and deveined tail-on raw large shrimp
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s)(I used Slap ya Mama)
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), divided
• 1 cup uncooked freshly ground grits (such as Bellegarde Heirloom Grits)(I used stone ground yellow & white grits)
• 3 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 1 medium-size (8-ounce) green tomato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I substituted a red tomato and it was still delicious!)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 diagonally sliced scallions (about 1/4 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 200°F, preferably on convection.
2. Toss together shrimp and Cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Place milk and 1/4 cup butter in a medium ovenproof saucepan. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium, stirring occasionally.
4. Gradually add grits, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and grits are evenly suspended in milk, about 6 minutes.
5. Cover saucepan; transfer to preheated oven. Bake until grits are tender, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven; stir in 2 teaspoons salt and remaining 1/4 cup butter. Cover to keep warm until ready to use. (I put the pot in a warming oven.)
6. While the grits are in the oven, stir together vinegar, 3/4 cup water, sugar, and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil over high.
7. Stir in mustard seeds. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until seeds are tender, about 35 minutes.
8. Add tomato and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and mixture has thickened, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from heat.
9. Remove shrimp from refrigerator. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high until smoking.
10. Add shrimp to skillet in a single layer; cook until opaque and lightly charred, about 1 minute and 30 seconds per side.
11. To serve, divide grits among 4 bowls. Top evenly with shrimp and chowchow; sprinkle with sliced scallion.

Note: The chowchow can be made up to a week in advance.

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

Layered Eggplant & Polenta Casserole

The plus side (supposedly!) of the original recipe for this dish from Martha Stewart was that it was a vegetarian casserole without cheese. After seeing an adaptation on Kirkley Crossing, I added fresh mozzarella. Cheese makes everything better! I added fresh spinach too.

I made the polenta but did use jarred marinara as a shortcut. We enjoyed it with a green salad. Cheesy vegetarian casseroles are perfect comfort food in cold weather!

Yield: Serves 6

For the Polenta:

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup polenta or coarse yellow cornmeal (not quick cooking)

1. Mix one cup of liquid with the cornmeal and stir. This prevents the cornmeal from lumping when added to the boiling liquid.
2. Bring the remaining stock to a boil in a 3 or 4 quart sauce pot and add the salt and pepper.
3. To the boiling stock, pour the cornmeal slurry in a steady stream, stirring constantly until completely added.
4. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until done, about 30 to 40 minutes. When done, polenta will pull away from the sides of the pot and will be soft in texture.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and finish as desired. Adjust the consistency with additional stock or water, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Pour onto a greased half-sheet pan and refrigerated until cool and firm. (I coated the sheet pan with cooking oil spray.)

For the Layered Eggplant & Polenta Casserole:

• 24 oz jar (3 cups) marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Italian Marinara Sauce with Barolo Wine- delicious!)
• 1 batch Polenta (recipe above)
• 2 large handfuls organic baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil, or more if necessary
• coarse salt
• 1 medium eggplant, preferably organic, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 pound (16 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.
3. Slice polenta into squares about 1/2 inch thick. (I cut mine into 24 pieces.) Brush lightly with olive oil. Place in the skillet until lightly browned. Flip over and repeat. Transfer to a plate.
4. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the skillet until nicely browned, flip over and repeat. Transfer to a plate.
5. Spoon about 1/2 cup tomato sauce into a 9-inch square baking dish, spreading to coat evenly. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer. (I used 9 slices per layer.)
6. Top each round with a sprinkling of spinach (1 large handful) and a slice of mozzarella cheese.
7. Top with a layer of polenta.
8. Spoon about 3/4 to 1 cup tomato sauce over the top. Repeat with another layer of eggplant, spinach, cheese, and polenta. Finish by dotting with remaining tomato sauce.
9. Cover with foil; place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbling and juicy, about 45 minutes.
10. Remove foil; place on upper rack in the oven and continue baking until sauce is lightly caramelized and eggplant is tender, about 15 minutes more.
11. Remove from oven; let cool slightly, and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Roasted Eggplant Lasagna
• Persian Split Pea & Rice Soup with Meatballs (Ash)

Two Years Ago:

• Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Three Years Ago:

• Vegetarian Chili with Winter Vegetables
• Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread

Four Years Ago:

• Rigatoni with Eggplant Caponata

Five Years Ago:

• Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
• Pastitsio

Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Grits

With the sunshine and warmer weather, an Easter weekend tradition in our house is to celebrate our love (and the food!) of the beautiful South Carolina Low Country. I usually serve a version of the classic Low Country dish, Shrimp and Grits, but, this year tried this scallop and cauliflower grits adaptation. We absolutely loved it!

This recipe was adapted from Joel Gamoran, Sur La Table National Chef, via Sur la Table.com. I puréed the vegetables instead of juicing them for the sauce, used riced cauliflower, and doubled the garlic. Amazing.

Yield: Makes 4 Servings

For the Cauliflower Grits:

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds riced cauliflower
• 1 to 2 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

For the Scallops:

• 2 medium whole tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons canola or grape seed oil
• 16 sea scallops, patted dry
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Prepare the Cauliflower Grits: In the microwave, steam the riced cauliflower for 4 minutes, or until very tender.
2. Combine the steamed cauliflower with Parmesan, garlic, and enough cream cheese to achieve desired consistency.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
4. Prepare the Scallops: Combine the tomatoes, pepper and carrot in a Vitamix, food processor, or blender. Puree.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Season scallops with salt and pepper and add to pan in one layer. Sear the scallops for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove scallops to a platter.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining oil to skillet.
8. Add shallot and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
9. Add garlic and smoked paprika and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
10. Slowly whisk in puréed vegetables and bring to a boil.
11. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. To serve: Serve scallops on top of cauliflower grits with sauce spooned on top. Garnish with scallions and extra black pepper, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Classic Shrimp & Grits

Two Years Ago:

• Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits

Three Years Ago:

• Shrimp & Grits with Tomatoes

Four Years Ago:

• Hominy Grill’s Shrimp & Grits

Classic Shrimp & Grits

This is a simple, classic, and perfect version of this fabulous southern dish. As a tradition in our house, we eat Shrimp and Grits over Easter weekend. It is absolutely delicious and can be served for any meal of the day. Great.

This recipe was adapted from Crook’s Corner of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, via Saveur. I used large shrimp and increased the amount of garlic and mushrooms. I also omitted the oil and used Sriracha instead of Tabasco. The shrimp tasted incredible after being sautéed in the bacon fat. Mmmmm. 🙂

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 cup white or yellow stone-ground grits
• 3⁄4 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan
• 2 T unsalted butter, divided
• coarse salt
• 2 T olive or canola oil
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 lb. medium or large shrimp, peeled with tails intact
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
• 1 T fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges or slices
• 1⁄2 tsp. hot sauce, such as Sriracha or Tabasco
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a 2-qt. saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. (I incorporated 1 cup of chicken stock.)
2. Reduce heat to low and whisk in grits. Cook, whisking frequently, until grits are tender and creamy, 30–40 minutes. (Whisk in more water for thinner grits.)
3. Whisk in cheddar, parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of butter and season with salt; cover and set aside.
4. Heat a 12″ skillet over medium heat.
5. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Reserve cooking fat in skillet.
6. Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
7. Over medium-high heat, add shrimp to skillet and cook, turning once, until bright pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate with a slotted spoon.
8. Lower heat to medium; add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 minutes.
9. Add garlic and cook until golden, 1 minute.
10. Raise heat to high, add chicken broth, and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. Cook until broth reduces by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Return shrimp to skillet along with the lemon juice, remaining butter, and hot sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
12. Divide grits between 4 bowls; top each with shrimp and its sauce.
13. Garnish each bowl with bacon, scallions, and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

One Year Ago:

• Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits

Two Years Ago:

• Shrimp & Grits with Tomatoes

Three Years Ago:

• Hominy Grill’s Shrimp and Grits