JAS_OH1
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In the southern USA, creamy shrimp and grits is a delicious classic and one that I adore! I also love dry champagne (sparkling wine if produced in the USA)--I haven't cooked with it before, but I've used wine plenty of times. I have had some delectable dishes that were seasoned with saffron, though not in southern cooking that I can recall. I thought about it for awhile, and it occurred to me, "Why not combine them all into one dish?" And I am surely glad that I did! The recipe I came up with really elevates this classic southern dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
This dish feeds 2 people and the entire meal comes together in about 45 minutes. You will need a medium-sized sauté pan with a lid and a medium-sized pot with a lid for the grits.
Ingredients for step 1:
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I left the tails on for presentation)
4 oz. diced red and/or yellow bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/4 cup champagne to deglaze the pan
Pinch of salt to desired preference (I used about .25 tsp)
Dash of pepper
Ingredients for step 2:
1/4 cup quick grits
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of champagne
1 TBSP butter
6-8 threads of saffron
1 TBSP shaved aged Parmesan cheese
.25 tsp of salt
1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about .25 tsp)
Notes: I know it may seem that 6-8 threads of saffron is a lot for a meal that only serves two people, but with the stronger flavors of the lemon juice and the aged shaved Parmesan cheese, it worked well and these three prominent flavors really balanced each other out. Also, I think a dry white wine would work just as well as champagne in this dish, but I just happened to have an open bottle of champagne (okay, sparkling wine) so that's what I went with. Also, when I was eating, I picked up a shrimp by it's tail and dredged it through the grits mixture with each bite--yes not so elegant and slightly messy, but so delicious!
Step 1:
Warm 1 TBSP of olive oil in a medium-sized sauté pan and put the diced bell peppers and garlic in for a few minutes on medium-low heat until they soften slightly. Add the shallots and continue to cook until some caramelization has occurred. Scrape the vegetables into a small bowl. Turn the heat up to a high heat and place the other 1 TBSP of olive oil into the pan. When it sizzles, add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until a nice sear has occurred. Place the shrimp into the bowl with the vegetables and cover (try to keep the shrimp separate from the veggies for more attractive plating). Keep the sauté pan for deglazing later.
Step 2:
In a medium-sized pot, add the chicken stock, champagne, grits, heavy cream, and butter, then bring to a low boil for about 1 minute. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly until it comes to a slightly thick but still fluid consistency. Add the saffron and stir it in. Turn off the heat. Cover the pan and allow the saffron to infuse for approximately 10 minutes.
Return the sauté pan to the burner and add approximately 1/4 cup of champagne. Cook on high heat, stirring constantly to remove any stuck on bits, until it has reduced to just a few TBSP. Turn the heat to low and add in the vegetables and shrimp, keeping them separate in the pan. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Cover the pan and turn the heat off.
Reheat the pan with the grits for a few minutes on low heat with the lid off. Stir the grits to check for consistency, and heat at a very low heat until thickened if they are still too thin. Plate in a shallow bowl with the grits on the bottom and a bit of shaved parmesan cheese layered next, then arrange the shrimp and vegetables on the top. Squeeze a little lemon on each shrimp and enjoy!
This dish feeds 2 people and the entire meal comes together in about 45 minutes. You will need a medium-sized sauté pan with a lid and a medium-sized pot with a lid for the grits.
Ingredients for step 1:
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I left the tails on for presentation)
4 oz. diced red and/or yellow bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/4 cup champagne to deglaze the pan
Pinch of salt to desired preference (I used about .25 tsp)
Dash of pepper
Ingredients for step 2:
1/4 cup quick grits
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of champagne
1 TBSP butter
6-8 threads of saffron
1 TBSP shaved aged Parmesan cheese
.25 tsp of salt
1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about .25 tsp)
Notes: I know it may seem that 6-8 threads of saffron is a lot for a meal that only serves two people, but with the stronger flavors of the lemon juice and the aged shaved Parmesan cheese, it worked well and these three prominent flavors really balanced each other out. Also, I think a dry white wine would work just as well as champagne in this dish, but I just happened to have an open bottle of champagne (okay, sparkling wine) so that's what I went with. Also, when I was eating, I picked up a shrimp by it's tail and dredged it through the grits mixture with each bite--yes not so elegant and slightly messy, but so delicious!
Step 1:
Warm 1 TBSP of olive oil in a medium-sized sauté pan and put the diced bell peppers and garlic in for a few minutes on medium-low heat until they soften slightly. Add the shallots and continue to cook until some caramelization has occurred. Scrape the vegetables into a small bowl. Turn the heat up to a high heat and place the other 1 TBSP of olive oil into the pan. When it sizzles, add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until a nice sear has occurred. Place the shrimp into the bowl with the vegetables and cover (try to keep the shrimp separate from the veggies for more attractive plating). Keep the sauté pan for deglazing later.
Step 2:
In a medium-sized pot, add the chicken stock, champagne, grits, heavy cream, and butter, then bring to a low boil for about 1 minute. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly until it comes to a slightly thick but still fluid consistency. Add the saffron and stir it in. Turn off the heat. Cover the pan and allow the saffron to infuse for approximately 10 minutes.
Return the sauté pan to the burner and add approximately 1/4 cup of champagne. Cook on high heat, stirring constantly to remove any stuck on bits, until it has reduced to just a few TBSP. Turn the heat to low and add in the vegetables and shrimp, keeping them separate in the pan. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Cover the pan and turn the heat off.
Reheat the pan with the grits for a few minutes on low heat with the lid off. Stir the grits to check for consistency, and heat at a very low heat until thickened if they are still too thin. Plate in a shallow bowl with the grits on the bottom and a bit of shaved parmesan cheese layered next, then arrange the shrimp and vegetables on the top. Squeeze a little lemon on each shrimp and enjoy!
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