The Literate Chef

Posts Tagged ‘Shrimp’

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Shrimp & Grits

In Recipes, Shrimp on May 24, 2014 at 5:07 PM

Having been stationed at Air Force bases in Texas and Mississippi, “when I wore a younger man’s clothes,” I became intimately familiar with Grits, as they were served in the mess hall at every breakfast. I recall them perfectly, white, gummy and tasteless. The only way that they became even slightly edible was drowned in butter, salt and sugar.

Last month, while visiting my cousin outside of Beaufort, South Carolina, I happened to mention that we were stopping in Charleston, as we continued on our drive north. She said to me “you have to try Shrimp and Grits, when you get to Charleston!” Recalling that gooey, bland mess to which I had been subjected while living “Down South” in the service of Uncle Sam, I thought boiled shrimp in boiled grits? Not for me!

Upon arriving in Charleston the following afternoon, we checked into the HarbourView Inn, located right in the heart of the historic district. We asked the concierge to recommend a nearby restaurant for a late lunch, and he suggested Slightly North Of Broad (SNOB), as it is just around the corner from the hotel. Sure enough, Maverick Shrimp & Grits were prominently displayed on the menu. However, the description sounded infinitely superior to the vision that was in my mind, so I thought what the heck, and went ahead and ordered them.

Having cleaned my plate of every last morsel of grits, the waitress commented that I had obviously enjoyed them. I explained my hesitation in ordering them, based on previous association, but that the dish had far exceeded my expectations. She explained that there are a variety of grits, each with differing qualities, and that theirs were stone-ground in small batches.When I inquired if Chef Lee had a cookbook, she said that unfortunately he did not, but she was kind enough to give me a copy of his recipe, which I have adapted herein. She also  recommended that I visit their affiiliate, Charleston Cooks, a delightful gourmet shop next door, where I was sure to find a bag of good quality grits to take back to the north.

I hope that you try these Grits, as they will make a Grits lover out of any darn Yankee.

 

Shrimp & Grits
(Adapted from Slightly North of Broad, Charleston, SC)
Total Time 45 minutes – Serves 2

Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients:

For the Grits:
4 cups water
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsps. Unsalted butter
1 & 1/4 cups stone ground grits
2/3-cup light cream

For the Topping:
4 oz. country ham, julienned
4 oz. Andouille sausage, cut into circles ¼ inch thick
½ fresh tomato, diced
4 scallions, sliced
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. Creole Seasoning

1 dozen medium sized shrimp, cleaned and deveined
½ cup chicken stock

Procedure:

Prepare the Grits:

1. In a 3 qt. pot with a heavy bottom, bring the water, salt and 1tbsp. of the butter to a boil.
2. Stir in the grits, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the grits are thick and creamy (approximately 35 to 40 minutes.)
3. Remove pot from the heat, add 1 tbsp. of the butter and mix well. Add the cream and mix well again. Taste, and adjust the butter and cream to your liking. Keep warm.

While the Grits are Cooking, Prepare the Topping Ingredients:

1. Slice the ham and sausage, slice and dice the vegetables, clean the shrimp and assemble the other ingredients.
2. Heat a non-stick sauté pan and add 1 tbsp. of butter. When melted, add the ham and Andouille sausage and sauté.
3. When the meat is lightly browned, add the tomatoes, scallions and spices, and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Add the shrimp and sauté for about 3 or 4 minutes until the shrimp are pink.
5. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
6. Add the remaining butter.

To Serve:

Divide the grits equally between two plates. Place 6 shrimp per person on the grits and spoon equal portions of the topping over each.

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Pan-Seared Black Sea Bass

In Fish, Recipes, Seafood on May 22, 2012 at 8:10 PM

Pan-Seared Black Sea Bass

(Preparation and active cooking time 45 minutes – Serves 2)

Ingredients:

½ cup of canned creamed corn
½ cup of coconut milk
½ cup of clam juice
2 tsp. fresh minced ginger, 1 piece about 1inch by ½ inch, peeled
¼ tsp. curry powder
6 large shrimp, cleaned & de-veined
¾ lb. fillet of Black Sea Bass
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 & 1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2.    Remove fish and shrimp from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
3.    While the oven is heating, mince the ginger, chop the tarragon and chives and clean & de-vein the shrimp. Also measure out all of the other ingredients and set aside.
4.    When the oven is heated, place the corn on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
5.    In the meantime, add the coconut milk and clam juice to a small 1 or 2 quart pot and slowly bring to a boil on medium-low heat. Add the minced ginger and the curry powder.
6.    When the corn is done, puree it and whisk it into the broth.
7.    Add the shrimp and let cook slowly until pink, keep warm on very low heat.
8.    Add most of the chopped tarragon and chives to the broth, reserving a little for garnish.
9.    Season both sides of the fish with Kosher Salt.
10.    Heat a heavy stainless steel sauté pan on high, add olive oil to the pan and heat on high until it shimmers.
11.    Slowly add the fish fillets, skin side down. The fish will buckle up, so push it down for a few seconds to keep it flat. Cook for 2 minutes and turn.
12.    Continue cooking for 4 more minutes, shutting the heat for the last minute. Note
13.    While the fish is cooking in step 12, spoon the shrimps and broth into bowls.
14.    Add the fish fillets when done, skin side down and sprinkle the remaining tarragon and chives over them.
15.    Serve immediately with hot, crispy French bread to soak up the broth.

Note: This cooking time is predicated on using Black Sea Bass, which is about ½ to ¾ of an inch thick. If using Striped Bass or any thicker fish, increase the cooking time accordingly.

Please see On Tour With The Literate Chef-Bermuda, Part II

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Fillet of Sole Stuffed with Crabmeat and Shrimp

In Fish, Recipes, Seafood on October 2, 2011 at 4:21 PM

(Preparation time about 15 minutes, cooking time 8 minutes)

Ingredients:

6 tbsps. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. crushed garlic
2 tbsps. chopped fresh oregano
1 cup of shredded crabmeat, about 8 oz.
1 cup chopped cooked shrimp, about 7 or 8 (1/4 lb.)
¼ cup Italian –flavored breadcrumbs
½ tsp. celery seed
½ tsp. hot Hungarian paprika plus extra
4 fillets Grey Sole or any other firm, thin white fish such as Flounder, about ¼ lb each
¾ cup dry white wine
Toothpicks

Preparation:

For the Crabmeat/Shrimp Stuffing:

1.    Melt 3 tbsps. of the butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat.
2.    Add the garlic and sauté lightly, do not let brown.
3.    Stir in the oregano.
4.    Add the shrimp & crabmeat.
5.    Stir in the breadcrumbs, celery seed and ½ teaspoon of paprika.
6.    Cook the mixture on medium for about 3 to 4 minutes to blend the flavors.

For the Stuffed Fillets:

Adding the stuffing

1.    Lay the fillets out on a cutting board, with the narrow end toward you.

2.    Spoon the stuffing onto the fillets, leaving about ¾ inch clear from either end.
3.    Gently roll up each fillet starting from the narrow end. Secure each roll with 2 toothpicks.

Rolled Fillets

4.    Sprinkle each roll with the additional paprika.
5.    Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter on high heat in a non-stick sauté pan with a cover.
6.    When the butter is bubbling, gently add the rolled fillets and reduce heat to medium.
7.    Saute the fillets on three sides, turning each fillet 1/3 of a turn after 1 minute, for a total of 3 minutes.
8.    Return heat to high, add the wine, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

9.     Carefully transfer the fish to individual plates and spoon the remaining gravy and loose stuffing over each fillet.

Fillet of Sole Stuffed with Crabmeat & Shrimp

Serve with steamed asparagus, dressed with butter and lemon, and a dry white wine such as Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc.

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Time to Get Back to Cooking and Posting

In General Articles on October 2, 2011 at 4:20 PM

Family, business and charitable work have been occupying our focus for the past two months, but now it is time to get back to cooking, writing and posting. The other night, to kick off the fall season,we decided to cook some fish inside the house, rather than on the grill. With no preconceived idea, other than indoor cooking, I visited our local fishmonger to see what was in that day’s catch.  The grey sole was fresh and looked good, so I bought four small fillets, each weighing about 1/4 pound.

Now, how to prepare it? Sole lends itself to many preparations, but I noted some Maine crab-meat in the case and thought that would make a good base for stuffing, and to add a little variety, maybe some shrimp. Since I did not feel like cleaning, deveining and cooking the shrimp myself, I ordered a 1/4 pound of the cooked shrimp.

Having made a decision on the fish and the base for the stuffing, the next step was to see what was in the pantry that could finish the dish. I knew that we had breadcrumbs, as well as wine in which to poach the fish, and that the refrigerator held the staples of lemon, butter, parsley and garlic, so after picking up a bunch of asparagus at the fruit and vegetable market I headed home.

The parsley in the refrigerator proved to be limp and flavorless, but all of the other ingredients were there. Looking around the garden, I saw that there was still some fresh oregano and thought that could substitute for the parsley. The spice rack revealed hot Hungarian paprika, which not only adds spice but color, and…celery seeds! I had never used celery seeds and have no idea why I had bought them in the first place, but I thought that they could nicely round out the stuffing and they did, as you will see after you have tried the quick and easy Fillet of Sole Stuffed with Crabmeat and Shrimp.

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