This Lowcountry specialty is synonymous with “the South” more so than just about any other dish. Mostly served at homes (rather than restaurants) for the early part of the 21st century, this staple found it’s way onto Southern restaurant tables eventually, and the rest, as they say, is history.
- Grits
- Stone-ground grits
- Water
- Whole milk
- Shredded Romano Cheese
- Butter
- Large shrimp with heads and shells
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- 12 Ounces of Dark beer
- Traditional Cajun Seasoning
- Crab, shrimp & crawfish boil seasoning
- Thyme leaves
- Oregano
- Rosemary leaves
Place grits, water, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese to grits just before serving. Stir until cheese is melted. Reserve grits in a saucepan.
Rinse shrimp in cold water. Pinch off heads and place heads in a large skillet with butter.
Sauté shrimp heads until the fat in the heads melts and the oil turns red in color. Remove and discard heads. Peel and devein the shrimp. In a large skillet, add butter and garlic over medium heat until butter is melted and the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, Cajun spices, and beer. Stir to combine. New Orleans shrimp and grits sauce in a skillet. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the shrimp. Flip the shrimp when it begins to turn pink and shrink. Cook for one minute and remove shrimp.
Continue to cook the sauce until it reduces by a third, then remove from the heat.
Add butter and stir until the butter melts into the sauce.
Divide grits into four bowls. Add shrimp and sauce equally to each bowl.
Recipe Tips:
Store fresh or thawed shrimp in a colander filled with ice and set over a bowl. Shrimp should only be rinsed and dried just before cooking. For the best flavor, look for the Ocean Select family of fine products.
