Ayesha Curry's Shrimp & Grits
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and shrimp & grits was not a common meal to be found. A couple years ago, I stumbled across this recipe by Ayesha Curry and it blew me away. It is extremely easy to make and is jam-packed with flavor. Pair it with the same wine you use in the recipe and it elevates the meal to a whole new level. You defiantly need to give this one a shot. It’s on my go-to list of meals that I make on the repeat!
Serves 4
Active Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Author: Ayesha Curry
Cookbook:The Seasoned Life
To Make the Grits
Step One: Cook the grits according to the direction on the package. Once the grits are cooked through, stir in the Cheddar and fontina cheeses, butter, truffle oil (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
To Make the Shrimp
Step Two: Line a large plate with paper towels. In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to the pater towels and discard all but three tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Chop up the bacon and set aside.
Step Three: In the remaining fat in the skillet, sauté the onion over medium heat until it begins to soften (but before it starts to brown) about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and season with a pinch of each salt and pepper. Cook until the peppers have softened, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Push the mixture to one side of the pan.
Step Four: Add the shrimp to the empty side of the pan and cool until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the shrimp, evenly, and cook, about 30 seconds more.
Step Five: Increase the heat to medium-high. Pour the wine and cook, scraping the caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. To serve, pour the grits into a large warmed serving bowl. Pour the shrimp and any sauce over the grits. Sprinkle the reserved bacon, parsley, and green onion over the top to finish. Serve hot.
Shrimp and Grits
Ayesha Curry's delicious shrimp and cheesy grits from her cookbook, 'The Seasoned Life'.
For the Grits
1 cup grits (preferably quick-cooking)
½ cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded fontina cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon truffle oil (optional)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the Shrimp
3 slices thick-cut bacon
½ cup minced yellow onion
1 yellow bell pepper (seeded and diced)
1 orange or red bell pepper (seeded and diced)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 ½ pounds extra jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound peeled and deveined)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ cup lighter-style white wine (I use Riesling)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)
green onions (thinly sliced, for garnish)
To Make the Grits
Cook the grits according to the direction on the package. Once the grits are cooked through, stir in the Cheddar and fontina cheeses, butter, truffle oil (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
To Make the Shrimp
Line a large plate with paper towels. In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to the pater towels and discard all but three tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Chop up the bacon and set aside.
In the remaining fat in the skillet, sauté the onion over medium heat until it begins to soften (but before it starts to brown) about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and season with a pinch of each salt and pepper. Cook until the peppers have softened, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Push the mixture to one side of the pan.
Add the shrimp to the empty side of the pan and cool until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the shrimp, evenly, and cook, about 30 seconds more.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Pour the wine and cook, scraping the caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. To serve, pour the grits into a large warmed serving bowl. Pour the shrimp and any sauce over the grits. Sprinkle the reserved bacon, parsley, and green onion over the top to finish. Serve hot.
Recipe reprinted from The Seasoned Life: Copyright © 2016 by Ayesha Curry. Published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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