Low Country Shrimp & Grits

I realize some of the posts recently have not been about Cajun and Creole foods. The reason being I have changed jobs and am no longer working out of New Orleans. Now don't worry, I am still maintaining the Cajun and Creole name and all that goes with it, but I am expanding the menu a bit to include more Low Country, Appalachian and Smoky Mountain recipes as well.

I recently spent some time in Charleston and had some wonderful meals, so you can look forward to posts about some great restaurants we encountered there. I thought I would start the series off with my foray into Low Country cuisine by posting my own Shrimp and Grits recipe for you folks. I made it for some friends recently and it was a huge success. Here you go!

Low Country Shrimp & Grits

Grits
2 cups Quick Grits
3 cups water
3 cups milk
1/4 stick butter
1 cup grated colby/jack cheese
1/2 cup andouille smoked sausage (grated)
1 tbs Cajun Seasoning (Tony Chachere's)
1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, salt, and black pepper

Shrimp
1 - 2 lbs of Medium Shrimp (1 lb for every 3 people)
1/4 stick butter
1 tbs oil
1 tbs Cajun Seasoning (Tony Chachere's)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

Roux Sauce
1/4 stick butter
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes (or diced, canned tomatoes, drained well)
1 tbs flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbs minced parsley

Prepare the girts by combining the milk, water, butter, andouille, and spices in a pot and bringing it to a boil on MED HI. Whisk in your grits gradually to avoid lumps. Stir in all the grits and turn the pot down to MED and stir from time to time. When grits have thickened up stir in the cheese gradually to avoid clumps. Turn down to LO and check for seasoning.

In a hot skillet on MED HI, add oil and melt butter. Toss the Cajun Spice on the shrimp and let set a minute. Add the garlic into the pan and let it brown slightly, then add your shrimp in enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. These will not take long to cook, but I like a little brown crusties around the edges. Add the green onions and stir well to give them a little heat as well.

After removing the shrimp, toss in you remaining butter and let it melt. This skillet should have a little "graton" browning in the bottom, using a wooden spoon scrape the pan to combine the little dregs with the butter. Add the flour and stir constantly until it is a nutty brown. Add the worcestershire and stir well. Now toss in the tomatoes and stir for about a minute until the tomatoes wilt. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. This is not a low-fat dish.

Spoon the grits in a nice portion onto a plate, arrange the shrimp onto the grits and spoon the sauce over the shrimp. Enjoy!

I had shrimp and grits in Charleston a couple of times, while they were great, I liked mine better. If you want to take the time to use regular stone ground grits instead of quick grits, you are welcome to, I use both but when in a hurry, it is easier with the instant..