- 4
Ingredients
- Butter or oil -- 1/4 cup
- Flour -- 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon
- Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 1 pound
- Salt and pepper -- to season
- Onion, finely chopped -- 1
- Bell pepper, finely chopped -- 1
- Garlic, minced -- 3 cloves
- Chicken broth -- 1 1/2 cups
- Scallions, chopped -- 2
- Chicken broth or water -- 3 cups
- Heavy cream -- 1 cup
- Salt -- 1 teaspoon
- Quick grits -- 1 cup
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the butter or oil in a skillet over medium-low flame. Whisk in the 1/4 cup flour and cook slowly, stirring frequently, until the flour colors a deep reddish brown, anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes. Take care not to burn. This is your roux.
While the roux is cooking mix the shrimp together in a bowl with the 1 tablespoon of flour remaining, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Stir the onion and peppers into the roux and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the onions soften and become translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Finally, stir in the shrimp and cook for another minute or so.
Whisk in the chicken stock and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning and set aside while you make your grits.
Bring the chicken broth or water, cream and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium flame. Slowly stir in the grits. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes. For creamier grits, cook a few minutes longer.
Variations
Chop and saute a couple pieces of thick-sliced bacon in the skillet and use the fat from the bacon for the roux. Add more butter or oil as necessary to bring the total fat amount to 1/4 cup.
Stir in some sliced, browned garlic sausage with the shrimp if you like.
Add a squeeze of lemon or lime or a couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce at the end to give the sauce a boost of flavor.
: for a high quality dish, stone-ground grits are really the way to go. They take a lot longer, but the difference is real. Follow the package instructions to make enough for 6 servings.
Stir 1 1/2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese into the grits at the end.
Add new comment
Warm up mid-winter meals with delicious dishes that pack some heat.
Clean up quick with dishes that make a minimum of mess.