Shrimp & Grits

This dish was inspired by a meal at a local restaurant. I’ve had shrimp & grits many times before and it’s a hit or miss type situation. It’s either so bland that it has no flavor or it’s really good. This recipe is an Italian makeover of this southern classic using creamy polenta, garlic, diced sautéed ham, and tangy balsamic barbecue sauce over a cheesy polenta. Now if you are not familiar with polenta, it’s made from ground yellow cornmeal while grits are made from ground white cornmeal. Their taste is very similar but their texture differs – polenta is more finely ground and smoother than grits. Polenta is sometimes hard to locate and grits can be substituted in a pinch.

Makes 4 main serving or 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients *

2 Cloves Garlic Confit (minced) *

1 TBS Olive Oil

½ lb Deli Ham (have deli give you two ¼” slices)

½ C Catsup

¼ C Balsamic Vinegar

½ C Fig Jam *

1 lb Peeled and Deveined Shrimp 31/40 Count

Polenta Ingredients

4 C Chicken Broth

1 TBS Olive Oil

½ C Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

1 C Instant Polenta *

Mince the garlic and dice the ham (1/4” cubes). Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the diced ham and sauté for and additional 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the catsup, balsamic vinegar, fig jam and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Note: this can be made up the day before and refrigerated until needed.

While the barbecue sauce is cooking, prepare the polenta. In a medium saucepan add the chicken broth, olive oil, and grated cheese and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the polenta, beating with a whisk until smooth. Return to the flame and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and cover while you cook the shrimp.

Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the simmering barbecue sauce and cook until the shrimp turns pink.

Divide the polenta into 4 wide soup plates. Top each dish with the shrimp and barbecue sauce. Serve immediately.

* Pronto Substitutes

Garlic Confit –Substitute 1 clove finely minced garlic.

Fig Jam – Substitute apricot jam for the fig

BBQ Sauce – If you don’t want to make your own barbecue sauce, sauté the garlic in the olive oil and substitute 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce for the catsup, balsamic vinegar, and jam.

Polenta – Substitute instant grits for the polenta in this recipe.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Shrimp & Grits.