Karen's Shrimp and Grits

Oak on Fourteenth’s Shrimp and Grits (w/ Karen’s Amendments, see below)

GRITS

2 cups milk

2 cups cream

1 cup grits

½ cup butter

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste 

SHRIMP

1 pound shrimp, cleaned, save shells for broth

1 Anaheim pepper, chopped

½ jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

1 head fennel

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon chile flakes

½ cup olive oil

1 onion, diced

Cilantro leaves 

Directions

Make grits: In a large ovenproof pan, bring cream, milk and butter to a simmer. Whisk in grits and once it begins to bubble, place in a 325-degree oven for 1 hour. Before serving, whisk in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp: Place shrimp shells in pot and cover with water. Simmer for 10 minutes and strain. Reserve the broth, discard the shells.

Place peppers, carrot, celery and fennel in food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Place in small stock pot and add fennel seed, chile flakes, olive oil and onion and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are completely soft. 

Add shrimp broth and shrimp and simmer until shrimp are cooked, just a few minutes.

To serve: Place grits in the bottom of a serving bowl and top with shrimp and broth, garnish with cilantro.

Karen’s Amendments: 

1.  Simmer the shrimp shells for an at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.  The single most important aspect of this dish is the shrimp flavor in the broth, which will be added to the processed vegetables.  If your stock is bland, your dish will be too.  I use a nice crisp chardonnay to flavor this broth at the end.

2.  Choose a small to medium fennel bulb.  Too big and the dish will be out of balance.  But don’t skimp on the fennel seed, which should be slow toasted.  They are the life of the dish.

3.  Make sure to process the fennel, carrot and celery in a food processor.  This is the base of the sauce and will be the thickening agent.  Over processing will make the sauce bitter.

4.  Use a medium yellow onion and chop it fine.  I prefer to use a roasted Poblano in the place of the Anaheim.

5.  Stir the grits occasionally in the oven.  Mine cook in half the time.  Don’t be tempted to add more Parmesan (you can also use sharp cheddar).  These grits are rich!

6.  Add a bit of ham (about a 1/8-1/4 pound finely chopped) with the onion.   Tasso provides a spicy, smoked flavor.

7.  I like to add a bit of course chopped tomatoes for color and acid, and let them cook into the sauce