I am writing today about a favorite dish of mine to order when we go out to eat. I think my favorite place to have this dish out was at Emerils Fish House that was in the Islandview Casino in Gulfport,MS. The restaurant is no longer there but I loved to go and eat their shrimp and grits.
I was once given a tour of their kitchen by a fellow Chef. What a nice kitchen it was, they had everything that anyone could want in a kitchen but the thing that stuck out in my mind the most was a warmer that was used to hold food at a certain temperature for a
determined length of time. I was told by the Chef that this one machine cost ten thousand dollars(this is way more than any machine I own in my restaurants) and the machine was capable of holding a med rare roast at that same med rareness for up to ten hours. It holds the food without cooking the food so nothing gets overdone. WOW!! In any commercial kitchen you always have the dance of keeping hot food hot and cold food cold at certain temps but to be able to hold something and not overcook it was amazing to me and suddenly made this machine well worth the price tag. I then learned that this one machine was bought solely to house the grits for the shrimp and grits. My favorite dish. They had spent this much money to make sure that my Shrimp and Grits came out perfectly EVERY time. OK, so maybe it wasn't just for me but I still find it amazing.
I don't have one of these awesome machines in my kitchen but I still think I have perfected the Shrimp and Grits that I loved so much.
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Chef Danie's Shrimp and Grits
Gamberi e Polenta
Grits
1/3 c quick cook grits (not instant)
1/4 c grated asiago cheese
1 cans Swanson chicken broth
3 c water
1 medium tomatoes chopped
1 c shredded four cheese blend (Kraft)
1/2 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste
Grits take a while to cook so I put them on first. Put water, broth, grits, butter, salt and pepper in a deep pot on the stove (cast iron works well for grits especially if you have a coated cast iron) over medium heat. Stir frequently with a wire whisk to keep from sticking or clumping together. Grits need to cook for about 20-30 min to get to a creamy consistency. Don't forget to stir. If the grits get too stiff during cooking time you can add more broth or water when needed. Make sure they don't stick because it will make all of the grits taste burnt. The last 10 minutes of cooking time add 1 chopped tomato and asiago and Four Cheese Blend and stir into grits.
📷Shrimp and Sausage or Bacon
1 lbs fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined) ( I use 21-25 size)
1 lb sausage (sliced into rounds) or 8 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1/4 c chopped green onions
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c white wine
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 t Chef Danie's Seasoning Blend
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saute pan over medium heat put 2 T butter and chopped garlic. Let garlic cook for about 1 min then add shrimp and sausage to pan. Season with seasoning and salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 min turning shrimp and sausage to cook evenly on both sides. Add tomatoes and green onions. Allow to cook until shrimp and sausage are done about another 3 minutes and deglaze pan with white wine. Allow wine to cook down for just a minute and then finish dish with 2 T butter. Once butter has melted the dish is done .
Serve in a shallow bowl with the grits first on the bottom and top it with the shrimp and sausage. I like to sprinkle the to with a little extra cheese, some crunchy bacon and a generous amount of green onions. Yum!!
Please comment or write and let me know how you liked this recipe.
Thanks so much
Ciao Bella
PS -- You can save the grits if you have any leftovers and they can be reheated on the stove top. You may need to add a little broth while reheating http://www.youtube/chefdaniecooks.com
Posted 16th July 2011 by Chef Danie