Cheesy Shrimp & Grits

Hey, have you ever been scrolling through Twitter and see a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits dish that a friend has posted and is eating that makes your mouth water? Well that's exactly how this dish came about. 

After seeing our friend's post we immediately knew we had to make this dish and make it tonight. We were out and about doing some errands but I googled some recipes and found one by Martha Stewart that we decided to give a try.  We pretty much had everything we needed to make it so we only had to pick up a lemon and some green onions.

The spicy shrimp were perfectly flavored and had just enough heat to make them wonderful. Our grits turned out a bit too lumpy and not as creamy as we'd of liked them to be but we can fix that by adding some more broth next time. 

This dish hit the spot.

RECIPE:

Cheesy Shrimp & Grits (adapted from Martha Stewart) 

Shrimp:

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

Pinch cayenne, pepper

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

2 tablespoons red or green chiles, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Juice of 1 lemon

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cheese Grits

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, green parts only, sliced on the bias

4 slices Maple-Glazed Bacon

DIRECTIONS

Place shrimp, 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and pinch of black pepper in a medium bowl; toss to combine.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place shrimp, celery, shallots, and chiles in an even layer in skillet and let cook for 1 minute, without stirring. Turn shrimp and add wine; let reduce to 2 tablespoons, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and simmer until it begins to thicken, about 1 minute more. Stir in butter until completely melted; add lemon juice.

Divide grits evenly between 4 serving bowls; top with shrimp and sauce. Garnish with cilantro and scallions; top with a slice of maple bacon and serve.

Cheesy Grits 

2 cups stone-ground grits

2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as necessary

2 cups milk

1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Place grits in a large bowl; add 4 cups water; stir (light bran will rise to the top); and drain.

Bring chicken stock and milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When liquid begins to boil, slowly whisk in grits; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Stir in both cheeses until melted and well combined. If grits seem a little too thick, add more stock to loosen. Season with salt and pepper and serve.