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Southern Shrimp and Grits - from Goldfish


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Cuisine: Seafood Southern

From the menu of Goldfish restaurant
Perimeter Mall
770-671-0100

Q: Recently I had dinner with some friends at Goldfish. One of my friends gave me a sample of his shrimp and cheese grits. They were great. Would it be possible to get the recipe?
- Joy Boling, Alpharetta

A: Sean McLendon, executive chef, graciously provided this outstanding recipe. Sauteed shrimp and smoked andouille sausage are added to a fresh marinara sauce and paired with a side of creamy cheese grits.

Hands on time: 40 minutes  Total time: 1 hour and 40 minutes  Serves: 5

Ingredients:

    FOR THE MARINARA SAUCE:
    3 pounds organic vine-ripe tomatoes
    1 tablespoon grape seed or olive oil
    3 tablespoons chopped garlic
    3 tablespoons chopped shallots
    1 (14 1/2-ounce) can high quality, whole peeled plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
    1/4 cup chopped basil

    FOR THE GRITS:
    2 cups half-and-half
    2 cups heavy cream
    Scant 1 cup stone ground grits
    1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
    1 teaspoon salt
    4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

    FOR THE SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE:
    1 tablespoon grape seed or olive oil
    1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
    Salt and pepper
    1 1/4 cups smoked andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

    FOR THE GARNISH (optional):
    5 teaspoons basil oil
    2 tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions:

To make the marinara sauce: Blanch organic tomatoes. Remove skin and seeds and roughly chop. Set aside.
In a large saute pot, add oil. Saute garlic and shallots until translucent. Add reserved fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and basil and stir to combine.
While the marinara sauce is simmering, prepare the grits.
In a large pot, combine half-and-half and cream and bring to a boil (watch carefully to make sure it doesn't overflow). Add grits, garlic and salt. Reduce heat and slowly cook, stirring frequently, scraping the bottom of the pan, until grits liquid is absorbed and grits are cooked and tender, about 45 minutes. Add cheese and stir until combined.

To make the shrimp and sausage: In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Add shrimp and cook until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, add sausage and cook for 1 minute. Add marinara sauce and cook for 3 minutes.
On individual bowls or plates, place 1/2 cup grits. Divide shrimp and marinara between plates and place beside grits. Drizzle basil oil on shrimp and top with chopped chives.

Notes:

Chef McLendon garnishes the shrimp with freshly made basil oil (check ajc.com for his recipe), but you can substitute store-bought.

This recipe has several things cooking at once and makes you appreciate having some extra hands helping in the kitchen. Reserve leftover grits for a future meal.

If fat is a concern, substitute low-sodium chicken broth for half-and-half and cream.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 757 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 36 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 53 grams fat, 273 milligrams cholesterol, 1,203 milligrams sodium.

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Recipes in the same category:ATL restaurant recipes
Recipes from: Goldfish Restaurant
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