CHEF DANIE'S SHRIMP AND GRITS
INGREDIENTS:
GRITS:
• 1/3 cup Grit Girl grits or polenta (not instant)
• 1/4 cup grated asiago cheese
• 1 can Swanson chicken broth
• 15 cups water (you may need more)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 cup Chef Danie’s Pimento Cheese (may sub other cheese at your own risk)
• 1 stick butter
• 1salt and pepper to taste
SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE OR BACON:
• 1 lb fresh Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use 21-25 size)
• 1 lb sausage sliced into rounds, or 6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
•1 tsp Chef Danie’s Seasoning Blend
•salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
GRITS:
Grits take a while to cook so I put them on first. Put water, broth, grits, butter, salt and pepper in a deep pot on the stove (cast iron works well for grits, especially if you have a coated cast iron) over medium heat. Stir frequently with a wire whisk to keep from sticking or clumping together. Grits need to cook for about 30-40 minutes to get a creamy consistency. Don’t forget to stir. If the grits get too stiff during cooking time you can add more broth or water when needed. Make sure they don’t stick because it will make all of the grits taste burnt. The last 10 minutes of cooking time, add 1 chopped tomato and asiago and Chef Danie’s Pimento Cheese and stir into grits.
SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE OR BACON:
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, put 2 tablespoons butter and chopped garlic. Let garlic cook for about 1 minute, then add shrimp and sausage to pan. Season with seasoning and salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, turning shrimp and sausage to cook evenly on both sides. Add tomatoes and green onions. Allow to cook until shrimp and sausage are done (about 3 minutes) and deglaze pan with white wine. Allow wine to cook down for just a minute and then finish dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. Once butter has melted the dish is done.
Serve in a shallow bowl with the grits first on the bottom and top it with the shrimp and sausage. I like to sprinkle the top with a little extra cheese, some crunchy bacon and a generous amount of green onions. Yum!
Note: leftover grits can be saved and reheated on the stove top. You may need to add a little broth while reheating
