Let's get busy and introduce the cast of characters:
Pretty simple cast this week.
I wasn't to sure about the grits part but what the heck all they are is cornmeal cooked with some sort of broth. I had two choices on how to cook them Bobby Flay's way or the real way his throwdown partner cooked them. Since I really didn't need all the butter and cream in the second way I choose Flay's way which was with shrimp stock and cheddar cheese.
I did all my stirring with a wooden spoon just like the show suggested. I'm not real sure what the wooden spoon has to do with anything but I stuck by the directions. One change I had to make was I had to use yellow cheddar cheese instead of white because I couldn't find the white cheddar cheese in our grocery store. Hard to believe since I live in Wisconsin the supposed king of cheddar cheese.
Once the grits are cooked it's time to start on the shrimp portion of this episode. Start with browning up some bacon......
....finish up with the garlic and shrimp....
....and it's really that easy.
All that's left is to put everything together.
A pretty fine meal and one I will be making again in the near future. The grits could have been creamery and next time I think I will add another 1/2 to 1 cup of broth so they aren't so thick. I am rating this a 4 out of 5 forks because the man from the south ended winning the throwdown episode against Bobby Flay. I have to admit the southern shrimp and grits did look better but there were so many bad things in it, like cream, butter, more cream, I just couldn't bring myself to make them. I also think next time I will use andouille sausage instead of bacon and I will come up with a different type of sauce to pour over the top. I think I will use Emeril's Essence on the shrimp before I cooked them too.
Bar American’s Gulf Shrimp and Grits
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Prep Time: 20 min
Ingredients
Grits:
4 to 5 cups shrimp stock
Salt
1 cup yellow stone ground cornmeal
1 cup grated white Cheddar
Freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Sautéed Shrimp:
1/2 pound thick double-smoked cut bacon, cut into lardoons
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
20 large (21 to 24 count) shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the grits:
Bring 4 cups of the water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the grits are soft and have lost their gritty texture, whisking every few minutes, 15 to 20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add remaining water and continue cooking until absorbed. Add the cheese and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
For the shrimp:
Place bacon in a medium pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown and crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and place back on the heat. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to high Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and add to the pan with the garlic. Sauté until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate. Reserve the garlic oil to drizzle over the finished dish.
Divide the grits among 4 bowls and top each with 5 shrimp. Drizzle the top with some of the bacon-garlic oil (that the shrimp were sautéed in) and sprinkle with some of the green onion.
Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Sat Mar 28 2009 © 2009 Scripps Networks, LLC.
All Rights Reserved
2 comments:
You can substitute evaporated milk for the cream -- the healthy chef on TFN shared that one day. Tried it in Katie's broccoli cheese soup -- maintains the creaminess without the fat.
It's funny you say that because I just saw the same thing somewhere else today. I just may try it.
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