This week features Bobby Flay. Now I used to really dislike him, back in the early days of the food network. I remember watching Ready, Set, Cook in the mid 90’s and rooting for whoever was against him. (This dates me, I know! ;)) I found him obnoxious and arrogant. One of us has mellowed with age, I guess, because I don’t mind him anymore. I still don’t watch him much, but I do like Throwdown (where he challenges a cook to whatever they do best and tries to beat them at it). This is where I first saw the recipe I chose.
So, for the Challenge, hosted by I Blame My Mother, I prepared Bobby Flay’s Shrimp and Grits, which I saw him prepare on a Throwndown show.
Bar Americain’s Gulf Shrimp and Grits
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Grits:
4 to 5 cups shrimp stock
Salt
1 cup yellow stone ground cornmeal
1 cup grated white Cheddar
Freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Sauteed Shrimp:
1/2 pound thick double-smoked cut bacon, cut into lardons
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
20 large (21 to 24 count) shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the grits: Bring 4 cups of the water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the grits are soft and have lost their gritty texture, whisking every few minutes, 15 to 20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add remaining water and continue cooking until absorbed. Add the cheese and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper. [I had no choice but to use quick cooking grits, so I followed the package directions.] For the shrimp: Place bacon in a medium pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown and crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and place back on the heat. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to high Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and add to the pan with the garlic. Sauté until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate. Reserve the garlic oil to drizzle over the finished dish. Divide the grits among 4 bowls and top each with 5 shrimp. Drizzle the top with some of the bacon-garlic oil (that the shrimp were sautéed in) and sprinkle with some of the green onion.
I loved it. Keep in mind, I’m a PNW girl. We don’t have shrimp and grits as a rule in Oregon. In fact, I had to use a quick cooking grit instead of stone ground cornmeal, because my total choices in the store for grits were two - “instant” or “quick”. So this may not be “authentic” and some southerners out there might be appalled, but as a non-shrimp and grits connoisseur, I found it delicious. Probably 3000 calories — but delicious!
Once again my non-foodie hubbie, whose palette is almost as sophiticated as my five year olds, was grouchy and wants to know why I can’t cook the same thing every single day, or at least cook no more than 7 different things and have them every single week. I’d go crazy! He liked the shrimp, but apparently doesn’t like grits, no matter how much cheese is in them.
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