No two versions I've ever had were alike. Most recently at Husk in Nashville, a version with thinly sliced serrano chiles, aged asiago cheese and a tart vinegar component to clean it all up. I believe the shrimp had been smoked. And there was the mink-lined underwear of Shrimp and Grits at Magnolia in Charleston years ago loaded with heavy cream and soft tomato flavors, grilled shrimp and a fried green tomato garnish. Super luxe, but unneccessarily so. At home I resort to something I consider Cajun, or at least Emeril-ish and I don't know exactly where I got the idea but it was somewhere in New Orleans, wherein the shrimp is finished in the spicy/oily detritus created by pan-frying crumbled Andouille sausage.
None of which would be considered health food.
And so it was that a recipe, attributed to Pearl's Foggy Mountain Cafe in the small town of Sewanee, Tennessee, caught my eye in a recent daily mail from Leite's Culinaria, a site I only recently signed up for but find more inspiring than any other I get, subscribed to (Food & Wine) or not (Kimball's Milk Street). Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce? Lots of vegetables too. It looked like none other I've had, so I had to try it.
OMG. This was SO, SO good. The W sauce disappears into it, and the Tabasco imparts a haunting background flavor that substituting any other hot sauce...well, you can, but I wouldn't. I did substitute olive oil for butter where needed, and didn't put any cheese in the grits (the Husk version mentioned above was great, but even without a motive to reduce dairy fat I honestly prefer the plain, clean taste of cheese-less grits), but I otherwise followed the recipe but for cutting it in half which made two perfect servings.
Here I'll give you a hybrid of their version and mine (which is actually a bit more streamlined for steps required)--most of us cook for two anyway. Oh, and it's an easy dish: set up your mis-en-place, saute the vegetables while making a quick stock out of the shrimp shells, then go have a cocktail or your salad course or both. Come back for a quick finish, dinner's on the table in 15 minutes.
For the stock (optional):
Shrimp shells from 10 large shrimp
about 2 cups water
For the grits:
2 cups water
pinch of salt
1/2 c regular grits
1 T olive oil or butter
3 ounces grated cheddar (optional)
For the shrimp:
8 or 10 large shrimp, deveined, shelled
3/4 c water or shrimp stock
2 T butter or olive oil
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced tomato (roma preferred)
1/2 c diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 T AP flour
1 T tomato paste
3 T heavy cream
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco to taste
S&P to taste
1) Start the shrimp stock, if making. Allow a gentle rolling boil that lightly reduces as it's cooking for more flavor.
2) Add butter or olive oil to a skillet, saute the vegetables until onion turns transluscent, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add thyme and tomato paste. Sprinkle the flour over the top, stir in.
3) Strain shrimp stock, turn the fire off underneath the shrimp stock, and go make that cocktail.
Or continue on: 4) Bring grits water to a boil, pour in grits. Add olive oil or butter and a pinch of salt. Turn fire to low, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes*. Add cheese toward the end if using.
5) About five minutes before the grits are done, turn up the fire under the vegetables. Add stock then remaining items, stir to thicken, add shrimp, turning once to get color on each side. Adjust seasoning to taste, serve.
* There's a school of thought that grits have to cook for 30-40 minutes. I'm not in that camp. I don't want porridge. I prefer the coarse texture of lightly cooked grits. Similarly, I didn't cook the vegetables until they all turned super super soft. Give them more time if that's your preference, but I like the chunky freshness of this sauce.
This dish partners perfectly with a dry rose; we had Navarro's (Mendocino, CA) from pinot noir.
