Chef Jesse's Shrimp & Grits

This is Chef Jesse’s FIFTH Cucina episode! We’ve been friends for over 10 years now and it is always a pleasure to cook with this man! His stories and insights are always wonderful to listen to! And I love how he combines his memories of cooking with his mom and grandmother with his formal culinary training and experience!

In this episode Chef shares with us his spin on the Southern classic, shrimp and grist! The recipe is adapted from his book, “POW: My Life in 40 Feasts.” He shakes things up by adding some bacon and tomatoes to the shrimp, and laying them over a bed of creamy, cheesy grits! Which, I could just eat by themselves all day long!

Check out the video below, along with the full recipe! Be sure to grab Chef J’s book from the links, and check out his other episodes as well!

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Chef Jesse’s Shrimp & Grits
Serves 4

Spice Mix:
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp taragon

For the Shrimp:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
24 medium shrimp
1 shallot, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C. flour
1/2 C. shrimp stock
2 Tbs. pepper sauce
2 strips of bacon, cooked, cooled, and chopped
1/4 C. chopped tomatoes

For the grits:
4 C. water
1 C. white grits
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 C. shredded aged cheddar cheese
2/3 C. shredded mild cheddar cheese

Combine spice mix. Add 2 tablespoons of spice mixture to shrimp. Toss to coat, cover and allows to marinate overnight.

Make the grits - bring water to simmer in a large stock pot. Add in salt and grits, whisk to make sure they’re smooth. Adjust heat to let grits gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. When grits become creamy, like porridge, add in cheese and stir well. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit while making the shrimp.

Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil and butter, once melted and combined, add shrimp. Cook until JUST turning pink on both sides. Remove shrimp from the pan.

Add garlic and shallot to the same pan. (*Optional, Chef recommends for added flavor to pre-cook the shallot and garlic in the bacon fat that remains when you cook the bacon strips.).

Add in flour to create a roux. Let cook until just turning golden.

Add in shrimp stock and pepper sauce. Let sauce come to a simmer and thicken, about 8 minutes.

Add in bacon bits and chopped tomatoes. Return shrimp to the pan with sauce and let everything cook together for another 2-3 minutes.

Ladle grits into a shallow bowl, top with shrimp and sauce. Enjoy!