First the first time in weeks, Vic & I have dinner alone.
So I’m making something that he loves but I rarely make because we’re the only ones in our house who eat shellfish. We’re talking down home, southern Shrimp & Grits.
Sauteed Shrimp & Cheese Grits--yum!
I tried this recipe first when we lived in Dallas and religiously read “D Magazine”. Especially loved the recipes they published from local restaurants.
Has anyone else noticed that Dallas is the birthplace of many casual chain restaurants? And a lot of good/great stand-alone eateries. Why, I don’t know. I mean, why Dallas? But it’s true.
Most of the recipes that I cut from that magazine were great. This shrimp & grits version was no exception.
First, I defrosted about ½ lb. of frozen shrimp. Then I melted butter and poured olive oil in a sauté pan to heat. Next, I combined about 2 ½ cups of chicken stock and cream in a pan to simmer then added a ½ cup of regular grits to slowly cook.
Grits simmering in chicken stock and cream
Then I sautéed the shrimp until they were almost done and quickly scraped them out into a bowl. Diced sweet onions, garlic and red and yellow bell peppers were sautéed next. I added some salt & pepper, Worcestershire and Tabasco and cooked until soft (about 10 minutes over medium-low heat). Then I scraped the vegetables out over the shrimp and added ½ cup of the Riesling I was going to drink, turned the heat up and boiled it until it was reduced by half.
Shrimp Mixture finishing in a hot pan
Sauteeing peppers, garlic and onions
The grits were done by then so I added a cup of sharp, grated Cheddar cheese and a ¼ cup of grated Parmesan and stirred until melted. The heat on the grits got turned off and the shrimp mixture was added to the wine reduction and cooked for a few more minutes until just done.
Parmesan & garlic added to the creamy grits
I served this with leftover coleslaw (from Jake’s Lunch post) and we drank a Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling. This wine was semi-dry (a little sweet) with citrus and peach flavors. I thought it tasted good with the shrimp and cheese flavors of the dish.
Good enough to cook with, good enough to drink
This was a great week night dinner. The grits were creamy and salty which worked well with the sweet flavors of the shrimp and the sautéed vegetables.
Vic was happy with his dinner and Cooper hung around the kitchen for a long time tonight sniffing those shrimpy smells longingly.
Cooper wants some shrimp
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