Debbie invited me to write a guest post on her blog today, and I thought that sounded like fun. We made a good team building her new website, and timing couldn’t be better for me to sneak out from behind the scenes to make a posting debut for Dining With Debbie. If you know me, you probably have a good idea why. Mardi Gras is just a few days away!
I love south Louisiana cuisine. I was born in Baton Rouge and grew up eating Cajun and creole food. I have lots of family in southeast Louisiana, and many of them are excellent cooks. I’m fortunate to have learned from some amazing women through the years and started cooking when I was about twelve years old. Most recently, I’ve been the head chef in our home since it was established over 14 years ago. My wife is glad to have me on staff!
There are several great Cajun or Creole dishes to choose from to celebrate Mardi Gras (or any day of the year for that matter). I had a hankering for Shrimp & Grits last week, so that’s what I decided to share with you today. If you don’t like grits, this could be served over rice and be equally as delicious. My Shrimp & Grits is similar to an Étouffée, so if you make this and like it, a few modifications will transform this recipe into a great Crawfish or Shrimp Étouffée. Feel free to ask how if you’re interested.
My cooking (and Cajun cooking in general) is more about technique and flavor profiles than strict recipes. My Shrimp & Grits recipe is packed full of flavor, and each step along with way is important to get the maximum depth of flavor this dish offers. I’ve attempted to write this out in detail for you, and I provided some pictures along the way.
Brad’s Mardi Gras Shrimp & Grits
Serves two (double the recipe to serve 4)
What You Need:
- ½ lb Medium Shrimp with shells (and heads if available)
- 1 link of Andouille Sausage
- 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 Small Onion
- ½ Green Peppper
- ½ Stick Butter
- 1 Cup Milk
- ¼ Cup Flour
- 1 Cup Stone Ground Grits
- ½ Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Kosher Salt & Pepper
- Creole Seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Fresh Garlic
- Garlic Powder
- Olive Oil
Start by making a shrimp stock
Peel the shrimp and place the peels and/or heads in a 2 or 3-quart pot. Add about 7 cups of water, half of the small onion, 1 stalk of celery (cut in quarters), 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour or until the water is reduced by half. Strain the stock and dispose of the solids.
Preparation
Doing your Mise en place (fancy French word for organizing and preparing ingredients) while your stock simmers will make this dish a fun cooking experience.
1. Prepare your Holy Trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery). Finely chop half of a small onion, half of a bell pepper and one stalk of celery. Finely mince one or two cloves of garlic.
2. Cut the Andouille sausage in half lengthwise. Cut the two halves into quarters lengthwise. Cut the quarters into small pieces about ¼ inch in size.
3. Pre-measure ¼ cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup butter (half a stick), ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese and 1 cup of stone ground grits.
4. De-vein, rinse and dry your shrimp.
Here’s what my Mise en place looked like
Shrimp & Andouille EÉtouffée
1. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a preheated cast iron skillet or enameled dutch oven. Add the andouille sausage and render until the sausage is lightly browned. Remove the sausage and set aside, being careful to leave the rendered fat and oil in the pan.
Rendered & browned andouille.
2. Lightly sprinkle the shrimp with kosher salt and pepper. Add seasoned shrimp to skillet and cook about 1 or 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcook. Remove shrimp and set aside with the sausage.
Cook on each side until lightly browned. Don’t overcook.
3. Add 1/2 stick of butter to the pan and melt into the oil and sausage fat in the skillet. Then whisk in 1/4 cup of all purpose flour to make a roux. Cook the roux on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes, stirring often. The roux will be thick and may turn pasty. This is normal. Keep stirring and let it brown, being careful not to burn.
Cook roux, stirring almost constantly, over medium heat.
4. Add the chopped onion, green pepper and celery (trinity) to the roux and stir well. The roux will continue to brown while the vegetables cook. The roux may have a sandy appearance in the vegetables. This is normal. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the roux becomes light to medium brown in color. Add one to two cloves of minced garlic and cook 1 or 2 minutes more, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Cook until veggies are tender & roux is light to medium brown
5. Add two cups of prepared shrimp stock to the roux and trinity. Whisk together and add 1/4 teaspoon of creole seasoning and salt to taste. I ended up adding about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Taste first and adjust as needed.
Add shrimp stock & seasonings to roux and simmer
6. Return the cooked shrimp and andouille to the Étouffée. Let simmer on low for a few minutes before serving over garlic cheese grits.
Return cooked shrimp and andouille, simmer briefly before serving
Garlic Cheese Grits
1. Add one cup of milk, 2 cups of water and 1 1/4 cup of shrimp stock to a sauce pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic power.
2. Bring to a simmer and add 1 cup of stone ground grits. Let cook about 5 minutes, or until grits become thick and creamy.
3. Add 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Stir well until melted. Remove from heat.
Serving Suggestions
Place a cup to a cup and a half of the grits in a bowl and top with the Shrimp & Andouille Étouffée. Serve with garlic french bread and Cesar salad.
