New Orleans Shrimp & Grits
What could be more mouth-watering than Gulf Coast Shrimp and stone ground grits in a classic New Orleans sauce? This New Orleans Shrimp and Grits recipe is the perfect recipe to make today.
What makes this New Orleans Shrimp and grits recipe so good?
What is more comforting than Shrimp and Grits?
Start with fresh catch Gulf Coast shrimp and stone ground grits. Make a savory seafood broth out of the shells and tails. Add in the trinity of New Orleans cookings: green bell peppers, onions and celery, toss in some Cajun spice mix- Old bay and Cayenne Pepper for good measure. Cook up the grits in milk and seasonings.
Don’t forget the Tabasco and a few bottles of Modelo or an Anita Andygator.
Ingredients in New Orleans Shrimp and Grits:
- Gulf Coast Shrimp- 21-25 shrimp per lb
- Stone Ground Grits- I prefer Dixie Yellow Grits or Bob’s Mills Organic Grits
- bacon
- garlic cloves
- celery
- green bell pepper
- green onion
- lemon juice- fresh
- whole milk
- unsalted butter
- flour
- Tabasco
- Old Bay Seasonings
- Cayenne Pepper
- salt, pepper
- tomato paste
Equipment needed for Shrimp and Grits:
- 12″ Skillet
- Fine sieve
- Heavy bottomed saucepans buy my favorite HERE
- Whisk
- Large platter for serving
Pro-Tips for the best New Orleans Shrimp and Grits:
- Toasting the grits in butter brings out their flavor- do not skip this step
- Buy fresh grits- they can get stale.
- Frozen shrimp is fine, but if there is frost in the bag, they have been frozen, thawed and re-frozen. Look for a fresher option
- Yellow grits have the best flavor.
- Adding a bit of beer to any cajun inspired sauce is always a great idea. Reduce for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Do not use jarred garlic- it will not have the same flavor profile as fresh garlic. Ditto for the lemon juice- always fresh.
What to Serve with New Orleans Shrimp & Grits?
Common Questions:
The simple answer- no. you need the shells and tails to make the seafood stock- a key component in this recipe.
The simple answer- see above.
Yes- you may need to adjust the cooking time of the polenta. Stone ground grits (yellow) are preferred.
New Orleans Style Shrimp and Grits do not use cheese, but you can add it.
No- not really- this is a dish best prepared and served fresh.
Spoon the grits into a glass container with a tight fitting seal and top with shrimp and sauce. Seal well. Remember, shrimp can make other items in your fridge a bit fishy, so it is best to reheat and eat with a day or two.
Place the grits and shrimp in a saucepan or skillet with a tight fitting lid. Heat on the lowest setting for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. You may need to add additional water to loosen the grits.
How I developed this recipe:
My jumping off point was the America’s Test Kitchen recipe- the purveyors of the kitchen experience perfected, but sometimes “fussingly” so.
In my first attempt, I followed their recipe to the letter using Anson Stone Mills Pencil Cob Grits . I have to admit: these grits are divine. They become creamy, but still retain a tiny bit of bite. The only place I could buy them locally has closed so I have to mail order the grits. Okay- as soon as I’m mail ordering something, it goes way down the list. Also, these grits tend to toughen in the freezer over time and the third time I made the dish, the grits did not soak up my seafood stock. Grrr. They also take double the amount of time to prepare- almost 45 minutes. A great substitute is any stone ground, NOT INSTANT, grits. Whisk them once or twice during cooking to help them absorb the milk and prevent lumps from forming.
I ended up using Bob’s Mill Organic Stone Ground Grits/Polenta. Buy at Publix and Whole Foods for just $3.50 a bag.
My recipe calls for adding cayenne pepper to the grits. I felt they needed a little something. I also add green bell pepper and crisp celery to the shrimp. The green pepper and celery added so much flavor- well worth the tiny bit of extra effort. The recipe would be fun to make with your holiday guests. Put a guest on grits patrol, have your son in laws peel and clean the shrimp and the kids can whip up the corn bread. Use my cornbread recipe- found here.
Ingredients
Southern Shrimp ‘n grits
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter divided
- 1 cup stone ground grits- I prefer Bob’s Mills Organic Grits
- 2 cup whole milk
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp salt- more if needed to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Shrimp
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter divided
- 1 ½ lbs extra large 21-25 shrimp per lb peeled and deveined shrimp- save the shells & tails
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 3 slices bacon cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 unit garlic cloves minced
- 2 TBSP flour
- ½ cup green bell pepper finely chopped
- ¼ cup celery, finely diced
- 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Tabasco
- ¼ cup green onions/ scallions sliced on the diagonal for garnish
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasonings
Instructions
Shrimp
- In a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, melt 1 TBSP butter. Add shrimp shells and saute until shells are browned- about 5-7 minutes. Stir in 1 TBSP tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add 2 1/4 cups of water and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain the shrimp through a fine sieve, pressing to release all the juices through. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of seafood stock. Add more liquid if needed.
- Cook 3 slices chopped bacon in the same skillet- it is seasoned with good stuff. Cook bacon until crispy- about 8 minutes. Wipe clean any extra fat. Add 1 1/2 lbs of shrimp, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2 cup green bell pepper, 1/4 cup celery, salt and pepper and cook shrimp until the edges are just pink- but not thoroughly cooked through- about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a platter (with all juices) and keep warm while you finish the sauce.
- In the same pan, melt 2 TBSP butter over medium low heat. Whisk in 2 TBSP flour to create a roux and cook for 1 minute- do not burn! Slowly add shrimp stock and whisk until all ingredients are well blended. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and let simmer until slightly thickened about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in shrimp and all the juices and cook about 3 minutes. DO not overcook the shrimp. Add in 1 TBSP lemon juice, OLD BAY, Tabasco and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over grits, top with chopped green onions/scallions.
Grits
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 TBSP butter. Stir in 1 cup of grits and coat well cooking until the grits smell toasted- about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Increase heat and allow grits come to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Whisk often to prevent the grits from clumping or sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in remaining 2 TBSP butter. Season with salt, if needed, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cover to keep warm while preparing shrimp. If you use Anson Mills grits- increase the cooking time by another 20 minutes. They cook very slowly.
