Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Although I have often heard of the pairing of shrimp and grits, it is a dish that I have never had. I've had a craving for shrimp lately, moreso than usual, and the thought of pairing it with grits came to mind for something different, so off I went in search of a recipe that best suited our taste.

This recipe was found on Food Network Magazine . . . check out their website if you have not done so, it is awesome with all types of sections and blogs for whatever you are hungry for.

Speaking of shrimp . . . The Captain and I have a shrimp dish a couple times a week and are always looking for new ways to prepare it. I'll be posting something we came up with this week that was so good . . . we couldn't get enough of it. We made it two nights in a row. No, I didn't take photos . . . I'm bad about that! Another post to come on our new flavor discovery . . . hopefully with some photos.

If you have not discovered the big bags of frozen shrimp at your grocery store, you must check it out. We have found that it is the most cost effective way to buy shrimp, even though we are on the Gulf coast and fresh shrimp is readily available. I love the convenience of the peeled and deveined shrimp. It takes a few minutes to thaw them out in hot water and you are ready to go without the mess of cleaning shrimp. One bag is enough shrimp for three meals for 2.


By the way . . . I never use instant grits!  It takes five minutes to cook grits the old fashioned way and so worth it.  I like convenience foods, but not when it comes to grits, oatmeal and rice.

Here is the recipe for 
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup instant grits
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne, if using, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and parsley; stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce. Serve with lemon wedges.

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine