A zesty spin on the classic shrimp and grits recipe which originated in the low-country of South Carolina — using a delicious New Orleans style BBQ sauce made from our BAYOU BOURRÉ Louisiana Boil Hot Sauce... a fiery mash up with a hearty helping of heat ‘n’ soul.
Marinade Time: 2 hrs
Preparing Time: 30 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Prepared for: 6 people
Ingredients:
BBQ Shrimp:
· ¾ bottle of Bayou Bourré Louisiana Boil Hot Sauce
· 2 cloves garlic
· 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
· 1 lemon
· ¼ cup butter
· 4 slices thick cut bacon
· 4 green onions divided
· 1 green bell pepper
· ½ cup diced celery
· 1½ lb Gulf shrimp
· Olive oil (for drizzling)
Cheesy Grits:
· 3½ cup chicken stock
· 1 cup stone ground or old fashion grits
· ¾ cup heavy cream
· ½ cup buttermilk
· 1 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese reserved green onions
· ½ tsp kosher salt
· Ground black pepper to taste
· 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
· Sprigs of cilantro or parsley for garnish
Marinade the shrimp:
Juice the lemon and reserve 2 tbsp for the marinade. Chop the garlic into ¼-inch pieces and combine with ¾ bottle of Bayou Bourré Louisiana Boil Hot Saucetbsp, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tbsp lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend mixture on high until smooth.
With blender or food processor on, drizzle in ¼ cup of melted butter (slowly).
Once the marinade has emulsified, add the marinade and shrimp to a mixing bowl. Toss to coat the shrimp in marinade. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Cook shrimp:
Slice bell pepper into thin strips. Cut the strips into 1-inch pieces. Finely slice the green onions, separating the green and white portions. Reserve the green portions — half for garnish and half for the grits. Finely dice the celery (including leaves).
Place 4 strips of bacon in a cold, large nonstick pan. Turn the heat on to medium and allow the bacon to cook until totally crisp, turning as needed.
Turn off the heat and remove the cooked bacon. Place the strips on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and discard the rest.
Add 2 tbsp of bacon drippings back to the same large nonstick pan used to crisp the bacon. Turn the heat onto medium-high. Add add the peppers, celery, and white portion of the green onions then sauté for about 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Once cooked, pour vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add a drizzle of olive oil along with the shrimp and marinade to the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the shrimp becomes firm and the marinade starts to boil.
Turn the shrimp over and add vegetable mix to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are warm.
Cook grits:
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Once the stock is rapidly boiling, add dry grits and stir. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
Once the grits have thickened to about the consistency of pudding and the mix starts to pull away from the sides, add the heavy cream and buttermilk. Cook for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly.
Add the cheese, reserved green portion of the scallions, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine and cook until the cheese is totally melted or about 2 minutes.
Keep the grits warm on the very lowest heat setting, stirring occcassionally. If the grits get too thick, add a touch of chicken stock to loosen the mix.
Serve:
Chop and dice the cooked bacon into small bits. Serve with about 1 cup of grits topped with shrimp and sauce, green onions and crumbled bacon. Finish with cilantro or parsley garnish.
Kick it up with some Creole Heat ‘n’ Soul — dash in Bayou Gotham® RUBY REBELLE Bourbon Cayenne or JUJU GURU Tropic Jalapeño Hot Sauces.
