North Carolina Country Ham Seasoned Shrimp and Creamy Cheese Grits


This is a dish I made for the Seafood Category at the 2016 World Food Championships.

North Carolina country ham is where these shrimp and grits get their unique flavor, the ham imparts its unique taste to the whole dish. The combination of the 2 kinds of pork and Alabama Gulf shrimp in the gravy served over creamy stone ground cheesy grits imparts a unique flavor and texture combination. This is a dish that can be served for any meal of the day from breakfast to dinner.

For the Grits

1 cups cream
3 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grits
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bring cream, chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in grits. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes on medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Keep grits warm for serving.

For the Gravy

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Teaspoon Anchovy Paste
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 stalks Celery, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Bell Pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1 center cut Country Ham Steak
1 Teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cup seafood stock
1/2 cups cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons diced fresh tomatoes.


In an iron skillet over medium high heat place the country ham and cook until well browned, remove and set aside. In the same pan, melt butter, add olive oil, add onions, celery, bell pepper and thyme saute gently until very soft and translucent. Add anchovy, garlic, and tomato paste. Add 1 cup seafood stock, reserve the remaining ½ cup to thin gravy if needed, and salt, bring to simmer, cook 10 minutes at a simmer. Lower heat to very low and add the cream. Keep warm for serving. Julienne the country ham into small strips and save for garnish.


For the Shrimp

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound Andouille Sausage
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Pepper
1 Teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Redneck Chef Seasoning

In a small bowl season the shrimp with salt, pepper and Old Bay Seasoning and Redneck Chef Seasoning, set aside. Heat saute pan over medium heat, add sausage, cook until the fat has rendered then add shrimp and cook till pink, do not overcook, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and sausage to the gravy and toss to coat and heat all the way through.  

To Serve

Remove from heat. Place serving of hot creamy grits in each bowl and pour portion of shrimp mixture over the grits, garnish each serving with parsley, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, and julienne of country ham.



Serves 6 hungry people or 8 regular people

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Herbs and Spices

Herbs and Spices I like to keep small pots of herbs growing year-round for cooking and I keep a small herb garden for cooking. I feel most recipes have a fresher taste and are just plane better with homegrown herbs. That being said it is not always feasible to grow all your own herbs so some herbs are best purchased dried. Allspice:  Always buy whole and grind yourself. Taste like a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Use in baked goods, jerk seasoning, homemade sausage, and stews Basil:  Is a member of the mint family. It has a sweet and slightly licorice taste and is used with tomatoes, peas, squash, lamb, fish, eggs, in salads, cheese dishes and potatoes. I like to use basil fresh and vary rarely use it dried. I also recommend not cooking basil much so add it at the end for best flavor. Bay leaf:  Bay Laurel is a sweet resinous leaf with a vanilla-like flavor used in vegetables, fish, soups, stews, and tomato sauces. I keep a bay laurel tree in a pot ...
Read more

Barbecue Shrimp

Image
2 pounds’ large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon black pepper A few of dashes of hot pepper sauce, or to taste. I use Texas Pete 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 lemons, sliced In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the olive oil.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, hot sauce, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Mix well. Bring to a simmer and simmer about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and sliced lemon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the shrimp turn pink. This should only take maybe 4 or 5 minutes. This is great served over rice or just with some crusty bread on the side to sop up all of the wonderful juice!
Read more

Redneck Chef Salsa

I have had a couple of request for my salsa recipe so I decided to give it out even though I don't usually. I tend to add the kind of pepper I either have on hand from the garden or I try to buy various types of hot peppers (If you do not know the Redneck Chef likes hot stuff) Also I never measure so you may have to add more liquid ingredients or salt or whatever you like. I like this salsa fresh but I will sometime can it in mason jars. This salsa is very useful in recipes of all kinds not just Mexican or Southwestern foods. Try it with fresh fish or chicken thighs wrapped in foil and grilled for a tasty treat. 2 sweet onions chopped 4 large jalapeno  peppers 2 any other kind hot peppers 3 to 4 cloves garlic 4 large fresh ripe red tomatoes peeled and chopped 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped 2 limes juiced 1 small can roasted green chilies, drained and chopped 1 to 2 small cans tomato juice or even V8 if you like the flavor 10 to 20 dashes ...
Read more