BBQ Shrimp and Parmesan Grits

Two of my favorite foods, shrimp and grits. They are perfect together which is why they are a southern favorite. For many years Pup Daddy swore he did not like grits. He was completely amazed when we had stone ground grits at The Farmhouse at Serenbe in Georgia. At this tiny farm restaurant everyone gets the same meal and the day we ate there the meal was fried chicken with grits and roasted veggies. He was quite certain he wasn't going to like the grits. What he found out was he had only ever eaten instant grits and that they are nothing like the real thing. Stone ground grits  do take longer to cook, usually about 45 minutes. You can use quick cooking grits if you must, but I don't recommend instant. If you make the grits with milk instead of water they are deliciously creamy!

The BBQ shrimp aren't cooked on the grill and don't have any BBQ sauce in them so I'm not sure where the name comes from. This is a New Orleans recipe that I found on the Food Network website. They are super simple and delicious. You should definitely have some great bread with this meal to sop up the sauce from the shrimp.

Ingredients

Grits
3/4 cup stone ground grits
3 cups milk
3 TB butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Shrimp
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons), rinds reserved and slice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
11/2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 pound (about 30) medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

 

Directions

 

Grits

Put grits in a large bowl and cover with 3 cups of water. Let sit for several minutes to allow any chaff to rise to the top. Remove it with a strainer. Then pour grits and water through the strainer. Put grits in a medium sauce pan with milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer grits for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently until the grits absorb the milk.Add butter and Parmesan. Stir until both are melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Shrimp

Heat a 12-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Add butter, and cook until melted and foamy. Add garlic, rosemary, and lemon juice and rinds. Stir in Worcestershire and hot sauces, and bring to a simmer. Season shrimp with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook until pink and firm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with pepper.