Creole Shrimp and Grits

I discovered the joy of shrimp and grits during a trip to North Carolina a few years ago and am soooo glad I figured out how to make this.

In a large saute pan, cook a few pieces of bacon

When the bacon is nice and crispy, take it out of the pan and put it on a paper towel

In that same pan, saute green peppers, red pepper and onion. For this particular batch I probably used 1 cup of green pepper, about half a cup of red pepper and 1 cup of onion (or however much you want, I love onion)

After you start the peppers and onion, start your grits. Do not use quick grits, it's not the same. Prepare the grits per package directions but use milk instead of water.

Saute peppers and onions until cooked down and darker in color

At this point you could make a roux, adding a couple spoons of flour, stirring and cooking until the flour is dark. I did not do this (hence no pictures) and regretted it later. I ended up putting in the flour later and just had to stir well to make sure the flour didn't clump. Turned out fine this way as well.

Now, add your shrimp. I used about a pound of Carolina shrimp.

Now it's time for seasonings! I used a good dose of Goya (couple tablespoons), a dash of cayenne pepper, black pepper, about 1 Tbs of smoked paprika, and a good dose of Creole seasoning. I also used 3 cloves of garlic. Now remember, this dish is supposed to punch you in the mouth with flavor. It is a very robust dish and should be pretty dark.

After a few minutes the shrimp should be just about cooked. At this point, turn off the heat and add in your half and half or heavy cream (I used half and half). You should put in almost enough to not quite cover your shrimp. The sauce is the best part so if you want to put in more, feel free. Now turn the heat back on low and let the sauce just meld together for a few minutes while the grits are finishing.

Now that your grits are cooked, add in your cheese. I made about three cups of grits and put in a 5 oz container of parmesan and romano cheese. You may need to add a little more milk to your grits at this point. You want them to be about the consistency of porridge, nice and creamy.

Just before serving, throw the bacon you cooked earlier in the sauce (cut up of course). Now spoon out your grits and pour your shrimp and sauce on top. Top with some green onions and enjoy!!

This dish holds up perfectly fine on its own, but if you must pair it with something, I suggest a light salad with a vinaigrette for a good contrast to the boldness of the shrimp and grits. We had a fresh salad with cucumbers, goat cheese, croutons and raspberry vinaigrette.

Enjoy!!