Shrimp Grits With Greens Food

SHRIMP AND GRITS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Start with the grits. Bring a medium saucepan filled with 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Whisk in the sea salt and grits. When mixture just starts to simmer again, whisk in milk and butter. Turn heat to low and cover with the lid slightly askew. Cook, stirring often, for about an hour. (Grits tend to stick to the bottom of the pan in the beginning, so do check and stir often.) If more liquid is needed, add up to 1/2 cup more milk.
• While grits cook, thaw shrimp in a large bowl under a trickle of cold running water. When they've thawed enough to handle (about 10 minutes), peel the shrimp, reserving the shells.
• In a large saucepan, combine the shrimp shells, onion, carrot, 2 cloves garlic, kale stems, 2 sprigs thyme, bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and peppercorns. Add just enough cold water to cover ingredients (about 1 quart) and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer until broth is needed for the greens.
• If desired, devein the shrimp - here's a good guide.
• Mince remaining 2 garlic cloves and set aside.
• Set a 10-inch cast iron or other deep-sided, heavy skillet, over medium/medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons butter and half the shrimp. Sprinkle with sea salt, Old Bay, and fresh ground pepper. Cook just until shrimp are pink with golden edge, 1 - 2 minutes per side. Remove cooked shrimp to a large plate. Continue for remaining shrimp, adding additional pats of butter as needed.
• Strain broth with a wire mesh strainer.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan. Add minced garlic, cook 1 minute, and then add the greens. Add a small pinch sea salt and a few twists pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Add 1 cup broth, stirring greens while broth reduces. Fold in shrimp, add salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste.
• Swirl cheese into grits. Taste and add sea salt as needed.
• Spoon grits into shallow bowls and top with greens, shrimp, and a ladleful of broth. Garnish with remaining thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.

THE BEST SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring the milk, 2 cups water, 2 3/4 teaspoons salt and the sugar to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Vigorously whisk in the grits until the liquid comes back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, whisking occasionally and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent sticking, until the grits are tender and thick, 35 to 45 minutes. Whisk in the butter until melted. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil a large skillet over high heat until you see wisps of smoke rising from the pan. Cook half the shrimp until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon of the oil and the remaining shrimp.
• Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the andouille in an even layer. Cook undisturbed until browned on one side, about 1 minute. Transfer to the bowl with the shrimp.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet and add the garlic, bell peppers, onions, jalapeno, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until brick-red colored, about 1 minute. Add the wine to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the sauce reduces and you can no longer smell any alcohol, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, andouille, any accumulated juices and 1/4 cup water and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and the shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the warm grits among plates. Serve the shrimp and andouille over the grits. Garnish with the scallions.

SHRIMP & GRITS WITH GREENS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil with one minced garlic clove.
• Add grits, stirring and lowering heat to med-low.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook for five minutes, until thickened.
• Remove from heat and stir in cheese and heavy cream.
• Cook bacon until crispy.
• Drain on paper towels and then chop into small pieces.
• Reserve 2 tbsp bacon fat in pan.
• Add shrimp and one minced clove garlic to pan.
• Season with salt and pepper and sauté until pink.
• Remove from pan and keep warm.
• Add remaining minced garlic clove and shallot to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
• Add spinach to pan and toss and cook until flavorful and wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• To serve: place the garlic cheese grits in a bowl and top with spinach, shrimp and bacon.

PAN-SEARED SHRIMP WITH ROMESCO SAUCE, CREAMY GRITS, AND GREENS

Steps:

• For the grits: Place a saucepan over high heat with the chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the grits, and stir with a whisk. Once the grits come to a simmer, add the cream, again reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook until the grits just start to thicken, about 8 minutes. Add the cheese to the grits, taste for seasoning, turn the heat off, and allow the cheese to melt into the grits. Stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Cover and keep warm.
• For the greens: In a medium pan over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the mustard greens until starting to wilt, about 1 minute. Stir in the chile flakes and cook 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the greens are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• For the shrimp: Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter, allowing the butter to melt.
• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then add to the pan. Stir the shrimp while cooking. Cook until bright red, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Once the shrimp are cooked, add the wine to deglaze the pan, allowing the wine to simmer for 1 minute until reduced.
• Turn the heat off and add 2 to 3 tablespoons Romesco sauce, stirring in to coat the shrimp. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to finish.
• To plate, spoon the grits onto a plate, top with mustard greens, and top with shrimp.
• Grind the almonds in a food processor until finely ground but not pureed. Add the bread, vinegar, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and paprika to the processor and grind together briefly until evenly pureed. With the motor running, add the olive oil slowly until the sauce is thickened. Taste and season with salt.

SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH GREEN APPLE-PARSLEY SALSA

Steps:

• For the grits: Cover the grits in a medium pot with about a quart of hot water. Bring to a boil, whisking often, then cook over medium-high heat until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the honey. When volcanic bubbles appear, turn off the heat. Add the butter and melt, continuing to whisk often. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper and/or honey.
• For the salsa: Cover the mustard seeds in a small pan with about 1 cup hot water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, vinegar, anchovy oil, hot sauce and Fresno chile in a medium bowl. When very little liquid remains in the pan, add the mustard seeds to the bowl with the oils and vinegar. Add the green apple and parsley. Mix and set aside.
• For the shrimp: Sprinkle the shrimp with salt. Lightly coat a large skillet with canola oil and cook the shrimp over medium-high heat. Add the butter to help with the browning. Flip the shrimp after about a minute. Add the lemon zest.
• Divide the grits between 2 bowls and top each with 3 pieces of shrimp. Drizzle the shrimp with the salsa.