Shrimp And Grits With Blackened Spiced Butter Food

GET YOUR GRITS ON WITH BLACKENED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Toss shrimp in Cajun spice in a large bowl to coat.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a pan, then add shrimp. Cook until shrimp curls and turns pink, 1 to 2 minutes on each side (see Cook's Note).
• Ladle 1/4 cup Roasted Corn Emulsion on bottom of a plate. Place 3 hot Fried Green Tomato Slices side by side, on top. Add small scoops of Stone Ground Bacon Grits on each Fried Green Tomato slice. Place a shrimp on each of the stacks.
• Sprinkle diced tomato and chives on top. Then, dust with more Cajun spice and serve.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rub corn cobs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place on a sheet tray and roast until cooked and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Once cooled, cut corn off of the cobs and set aside, saving the cobs.
• Combine shrimp base, 4 cups water and cobs in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by half, then remove cobs and discard. Add heavy cream to the pot and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a separate small pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, until it becomes the consistency of wet sand, 3 to 4 minutes, to create a roux. Remove from heat. Once the cream is simmering, whisk in the roux mixture. Reduce heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
• Add corn, chives and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined, then serve hot.
• Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar and Cajun spice in a large bowl to create a breading mixture.
• Combine buttermilk and honey in another large bowl and whisk until combined.
• Slice green tomatoes about 1/4-inch thick, roughly 4 to 5 slices per tomato. Place tomato slices in the honey-buttermilk mixture and gently toss to coat.
• Place each green tomato slice in the breading mixture, and coat both sides well. Set breaded tomatoes aside and save any remaining breading.
• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, to prepare for frying.
• Re-bread green tomato slices in the remaining breading mixture, then place in the skillet and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Remove fried green tomato slices from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any remaining grease. Sprinkle with salt to taste, then serve hot.
• Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned.
• Add heavy cream, whole milk and 1 1/4 cups water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in the grits with a wire whisk, making sure there are no lumps.
• Bring back to a simmer, then lower heat. Season with salt and pepper, and let simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure that no lumps form and the bottom does not burn, until grits are fully cooked, 20 to 25 minutes (see Cook's Note). Remove pot from heat.
• Whisk in mascarpone until well combined, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot or refrigerate up to 4 days.

SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• To make the grits, place a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. When the grits begin to bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and butter, season with salt and pepper.
• To make the shrimp, place a deep skillet over medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic; saute for 2 minutes to soften. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and continue to stir to avoid lumps. Toss in the bay leaf. When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the shrimp. Poach the shrimp in the stock for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the gravy is smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the parsley and green onion. Spoon the grits into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

BLACKENED BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine everything but the butter in a small bowl and mix until well blended.
• Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture to the softened butter and blend completely. (Reserve the remaining spice mixture for another use.)
• Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place the spiced butter on the lower third of the plastic in a 2- to 3-inch-wide oblong shape. Gently wrap the shorter end of the plastic up and over the butter, using it to help shape and roll the butter into a log. Twist the ends of the plastic closed, like a hard-candy wrapper. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.
• Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
• Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the broth, milk, butter, salt and pepper to a boil. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for 12-14 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese until melted. Set aside and keep warm., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 4 teaspoons drippings. Saute the shrimp, garlic and seasoning in drippings until shrimp turn pink. Serve with grits and sprinkle with onions.

BLACKENED SHRIMP OVER CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• For The Cheese Grits: Place the milk, water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, gradually (add slowly so as not to cause clumping) add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once all of the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover. Remove lid and whisk frequently to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps making sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is creamy. While grits are cooking, start preparing the blackened shrimp.
• Finish the grits by removing from the heat, adding the black pepper and butter and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time to incorporate.
• For the Blackened Shrimp: Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, put the blackening seasoning in a shallow bowl; set aside. Dip the shrimp in the melted butter shaking off any excess butter before dredging the shrimp in the blackening seasoning. Place a batch of shrimp on the hot skillet (avoid shrimp from touching) and cook each side for about 1 minute or just until the shrimp turns opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and keep warm until all the shrimp are cooked. Note: If you go light on the blackening seasoning, you may want to add additional salt. Fry one or two shrimp to taste test.
• Divide and place the hot grits in the bottom of four large bowls. Over the grits, evenly divide the hot blackened shrimp. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired, and serve immediately.