Shrimp and Grits, Taking You to the Heart of the South
After reading this sentence, stop and close your eyes and think about the one food that immediately makes your mouth water and transports you to another time and place.
Got it? Good.
There might be a few foods that do it for you and I’d love to know what you thought of. For me, it’s Shrimp and Grits.
Growing up in a small city right outside of Atlanta, Georgia, grits were a part of life. We ate grits like the rest of the country eats oatmeal. Since married life we make grits stuffing for Thanksgiving. For my parents, with four kids in the house, it was an easy and cheap way to fill us all up.
It’s a pretty plain meal that needs to be jazzed up a bit. I can relate to my 11 year old son who looks at them warily, and remember shoveling them down myself when they just had cream or butter on them.
Now when I visit my family on the East Coast, I ask my dad to make them. I can feel the smile spread across my face when I study him and remember my childhood and watching him cook grits for all of us.
As an adult, this dish now holds its own personal challenge. I can’t leave well enough alone, no way. I want my family to eat my grits and say “Ahh-maa-zing” after the first bite. I want Tom and Jerry floating through the air by their noses when it’s cooking.
It all started on a vacation to Charleston when I had the best grits ever. What was their cream ratio?? And how did they get their cheese to taste that way?! Then the bacon. How had I never thought to add BACON?!? Ahh-maa-zing.
The Evolution of Grits
Grits have a deep history that is more than a staple food taking couture restaurants by storm. This very simple food can be traced back to Native Americans bringing it to the tables of the British and Spanish settlers. It also has its roots in Central America where they have found that corn was being milled as far back at 8700 BC.
Wait, WHAT?! I have to think about that one, that’s a long time ago.
The process of taking dent corn, not sweet corn, and turning it into grits does vary. Stone grinding can preserve the flavor of where the corn was actually grown, as well as keeping the more nutrient dense parts (pericarp and germ) intact.
Stoneground varieties take longer to cook for this reason as well, and also have less of a shelf life. This is very similar to wheat and other grains.
I prefer the stoneground variety, and will order them online. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to get family to send my favorite variety from time to time. You can use the more processed versions if you’re pressed for time, and I highly recommend trying stoneground at least once.
Some manufacturers will soak the corn in an alkali solution before they dry it and grind it, making the corn into hominy. This removes the outer layer that is full of fiber, which is essential in slowing the conversion of the starch into sugar. Keep this in mind if you want your comfort food and still get some health benefits.
Grits as Comfort Food
Did your mom or someone who took care of you ever make that breakfast dish that warmed your belly on a cold day? I like to remember how in the movie “Ratatouille” the food critic was transported back to when he fell down and skinned his knee and his mom took him in and made him a plate of what most considered a “peasants dish.” The smile that came across his face with the first bite, that is the heart of comfort food.
Moms have been making grits in one form or another from the beginning of the colonization of America. It is a dish that has shaped the culture of the south because corn is so easy to grow there, and grits are not only easy to make, but they’re highly versatile! You can make a big batch for dinner, letting it simmer all afternoon, and add shrimp or thin cuts of meat to the top. Then use the leftovers the next morning with butter and cream, and even top with an egg or add chunks of bacon (yup, don’t forget the bacon, ever).
Are you hungry yet??
Let’s take a look at the recipe that I chose to work with. I found this on the back of the Palmetto Farms grits bag. I have a quick link to an online recipe here Palmetto Farms Shrimp & Grits and I have included pictures of my finished dish!
Tell me what you think, or how you love to make grits. Share your own picture of how you like it! I’ll let you know how my son does too with this next go around. Like I said, he’s not a huge fan, but the cheese, cream and bacon will definitely win him over.
Thanks for joining me today on my journey into Soul Food!! I can’t wait for next month when I get to share the cheesecake that I simply can’t get right and Benjamin can blow out of the water.
Research Article Links:
What Are Grits, and Are They Healthy?
Creamy Shrimp and Grits Recipe:
Keyword: https://palmettofarms.com/recipe/grandmas-shrimp-grits/
Servings: 6 servings
Author: PalmettoFarms.com
Ingredients:
FOR GRITS
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups milk
¼ tsp. Salt (more to taste)
¾ cup Palmetto Farms Grits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
FOR SHRIMP TOPPING
1 cup diced bacon + 2 tbsp. fat
½ cup thinly sliced onion
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 lb. medium peeled shrimp
1 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
Grated cheese for garnish
Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions:
FOR GRITS
Bring chicken broth and milk to boil in a medium saucepan.
Stir in grits and salt, return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese. Keep warm.
FOR SHRIMP TOPPING
Cook diced bacon in pan until crisp. Remove bacon and drain all but 2 tbsp. of fat.
Add peppers and onions to pan. Cook until tender.
Add cleaned shrimp and cook until pink.
Return bacon to pan.
Stir in hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve shrimp mixture over warm grits. Garnish with green onions and cheese.
Recipe Notes
* How To Purchase, Devein, Brine, and Cook Shrimp
** To add flavor, place the shells of the shrimp in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer over low heat approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the broth, discarding shells. Add shrimp broth to hot stock.
*** Cooking tools used in this recipe are Pampered Chef Products. I am not a consultant, but I’ve been a customer for over 20 years and some products shown are vintage I’ve had them for THAT long. My sister is an independent consultant and can help you stock your kitchen with some great cooking tools! Visit her site here at http://pamperedchef.com/pws/jpierce32
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