Variation of Low Country Shrimp and Grits

I have been thinking about the shrimp that I had in the freezer and how I would prepare them.  It hit me today was the day and it was going to be shrimp and grits with some other low country add-ins like okra, green peppers, and corn.  Luckily, all of those were in the fridge and fresh from the CSA in Lancaster, PA.

I had  ears of lovely fresh corn which got shucked and taken off the cob, a 1 lb box of beautiful okra which I used half of, and a lovely green bell pepper.  To these I added an onion and 3 big cloves of garlic and a can of fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis. 

Ingredients

3/4 - 1 lb large peeled shrimp.  For me, this was 18 shrimp in total

1/2 lb fresh okra, cut into 1/2 inch rounds after cutting off tops and tails

3 ears of corn, shucked and taken from the cob

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced 

2 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1-2 T Old Bay seasoning, divided

2-3 t smoked paprika, divided

salt and pepper 

1/2 c chicken stock or water

1 T tomato paste

1 14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis

1 handful of thin asparagus woody stalks removed and sliced on the bias into 1 inch pieces (optional)

chopped parsley 

1.5 c grits, not instant

5-7 c water or stock or a mix

        How do you know how much water to use?  Start with smallest amount and add more as it 

        cooks depends on the age and dryness of the grits you are using.  For this time, I needed 

        6.5 cups and still wasn't getting the hydration that I wanted.  I turned pot off, lidded it and 

        let it sit for a while 

        so the grits could get hydrated better.  

salt,  go easy if you use stock

2 T butter

handful of grated cheese of some kind I am using Parmesean

Method

1.  Prep shrimp, if not already shelled and deveined, and hold to the side.

2.  Put corn and okra into a large saute pan with some olive oil and butter.  Saute and add 

        1 T Old Bay and 1 t smoked paprika.  Remove from pan into a bowl.

3.  In the now empty saute pan, add more oil if necessary, and add the onions, peppers, and garlic.  Saute until soft and onions are starting to go translucent.  Add in the tomato paste and stir to incorporate.  Add the can of tomatoes and rinse can with the 1/2 c of stock and add to the pan.  

Mix well to incorporate things and let thicken slightly.  Add the rest of the Old Bay and paprika.  

Stir to mix.

Green peppers, onions, garlic, and tomato paste 

Added tomatoes, Old Bay, and broth  

4.  In a separate pot bring 5-7 cups of water/stock to a boil and add 1 t salt.  Using a whisk, slowly whisk in the grits into the liquid.  Switch to a wooden spoon and continue to stir the mixture.  

You may need to lower the temperature to keep from getting splashed with corn lava.  Stir 

frequently to prevent sticking.  Taste for the texture of the grits.  They should be chewy, not 

mushy, nor gritty (despite of the name).  This will take longer than you think.  Southerners 

think Yankees can't cook grits, prove 'em wrong.

Many individual pieces in a thin matrix

Fewer individual pieces in a thicker matrix

    

This is when you add the butter and cheese

This top left is a spoonful of grits that ARE NOT DONE. Notice lots of individual little bits.  

When you taste this, it feels like a mouthul of tiny pebbles.  This means that the grits are not 

hydrated enough and you may need to add more liquid to your pot and/or cook longer.  The 

top right photo is getting there.  There are fewer individual "pebbles" and the matrix is thicker.  

The bottom photo is when you add the butter and cheese.  The matrix is very thick and the 

pebbles are less distinct.

5.  When the grits have reached the desired texture, add the butter and the cheese and stir to 

combine well.  Cover the pot and turn off the heat.

6.  Reheat the saute pan with the vegetables in it and add the shrimp.  When the shrimp curl 

and are turning pink on one side, flip over and add the asparagus, if using.  Continue to cook 

util the shrimp are cooked thru to your desired level of doneness.  

cooked shrimp and parsley garnish

7.  Plate with a ladle of grits and top with the shrimp mixture.  Garnish with a nice handful of chopped parsley.

    This is my bowl full of tonight's dinner.  It started out with            quite a nice spice kick from the Old Bay.  My can was 

    brand spanking new, so it was very fresh on the spice scale.