Best Ever Shrimp and Grits

Tonya — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:02:45 +0000

Shrimp and grits is likely in my top 20 favourite foods. I make it fairly regularly and if I go out and see it on a menu I must order it. Unfortunately shrimp and grits is a bit of an anomaly on Toronto menus so it makes the dish even more special.

The other day I was craving shrimp and grits but wanted to switch things up a bit. I didn’t want to do a fancy shrimp and grits but I wanted something a bit above just making grits and sauteeing shrimp. I ended up on one of my fave sites, the kitchn and came across this recipe.

First of all the photos on that post make the food look amazing. I love the way the gravy clings to the shrimp! What really sucked me in was the liberal use of bacon (I know, what a surprise). And. That. Gravy. Heaven only knows how I’m not 500lbs!

If you don’t mind the looming threat of 3rd degree grit burns, this recipe is dead easy. I can’t be the only one that has to duck from sputtering spattering grits as they cook? Am I? The shrimp comes together while the grits cook and dinner ends up on the table in less than an hour. Seriously, this dish is a party in my mouth each and every time.

Shrimp and Grits

For the grits
4 cups milk
1 cup stone ground grits
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter

For the shrimp
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon, cut in half

For the gravy
6 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
Kosher salt, to taste
Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)

Bring milk to a slow boil in a pot. Whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to low. Whisk the grits occassionally as they cook. Cook the grits for about 45 minutes until they are thick and creamy. Add salt and butter. Prepare shrimp and gravy.

Put shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with Old Bay and the juice of half a lemon.

To make the crazy heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until just shy of crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and allow to rest. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan, discarding the rest. Add the shrimp and sautee until cooked through. Remove shrimp and place in bowl with the juice of the other half of the lemon.

Melt the butter in the same frying pan and cook the onions until tender. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Stir in the flour and cook until absorbed. And the wine and allow to reduce until the mixture has thickened. Add the chicken stock and cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and add the bacon and shrimp into the gravy. Serve over grits.

Recipe from The Kitchn

Better Buttermilk Biscuits

Tonya — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:42:14 +0000

One of the by-products of my butter making experiment was buttermilk. Buttermilk is great. I use it pancakes all the time. Problem is I can usually only find it in 1L formats. Half the time I say screw it and just make “buttermilk” by adding either lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk. It works out just fine. When I discovered that making butter would yield buttermilk I was thrilled!

I immediately decided that I wanted to make biscuits. I NEVER make biscuits, but I love them. Fluffy, soft, yet crunchy biscuits of goodness. Plus I acquired a bottle of homemade honey while I was in Jamaica which I thought would be a perfect accompaniment to my biscuits.

I decided to check out the Food Network website to find a recipe. I figured they have enough chefs that dabble in Southern food to come up with a good recipe. Plus, the recipes tend to have a lot of reviews. One thing I noticed immediately is that there’s a split between those that prefer biscuits made with butter vs. those made with shortening. While shortening freaks me out a bit, I did have a ton leftover from making butter tarts a few weeks ago that I wanted to use up. I also happened upon a few comments that said that biscuits made with shortening are overall better. Sold.

I ended up going with this recipe from Tyler Florence. I’ve had some luck in the past with Tyler Florence recipes AND it was reviewed more often than the other recipes I was considering. The reviews were very positive.

Biscuit making is pretty easy. Not a lot of ingredients. Minimal mixing. Minimal kneading. Some rolling and cutting. Bake them and you’re done. All in all about 10 minutes of active time and 15 minutes baking. It couldn’t be easier. I grew up eating biscuits made with boxed mix (special shout out to Jiffy biscuit mix!) but the real deal is not that much harder and is so much more delicious.

I served my biscuits with scrambled eggs and peameal bacon (aka Canadian bacon) as part of a breakfast feast. I’d love to serve these with some fried chicken, gravy and mashed potatoes. That will be next.

Better Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients together with a fork. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk. Quickly fold dry ingredients into buttermilk with your hands until a sticky dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself 3 or 4 times to create layers. Roll dough out to 3/4-inch thick. Cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Transfer dough rounds to a sheet pan. Gather scraps and repeat. Make a dimple in the center to help the top rise evenly. Brush with butter. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown.

What's On My Plate » souther

Best Ever Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits

Better Buttermilk Biscuits