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You are probably thinking how rich in taste this grits must be when you read the title. Well, it is super wonderful in taste for sure, however the word rich actually refers to the cost of adding shrimp to the grits during a recession. If you ever wonder what grits is, it is actually a ground corn that is being consumed very commonly as breakfast in Southern of U.S. I supposed you can say that this is like eating a rice porridge in Asian culture.
Grits are similar to other maize-based porridge such as polenta and farina. I love porridge of any kind which is why now you see this rich grits recipe 🙂 My daughter loves grits, polenta and cream of wheat too. Like mother like daughter.
Grits are absolutely delicious base for all sorts of wonderful things in Southern cooking. The Southerners are eating it with savory topping, like bacon, sausages, in this recipe, with shrimps and sausage. I can tell you though, this is super delicious and It can’t be any easier to prepare this. We didn’t actually eat this for breakfast. We ate rich grits for lunch and dinner. Go figure! 🙂
SOUTHERN BEANS AND PORK
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium ground grits , fine cornmeal, or white polenta
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- FOR THE PRAWNS AND SAUSAGE:
- 6 good-quality uncooked pork sausages or cooked pork sausages
- Olive oil
- ¾ lb raw shrimp , shells off
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- A pat of butter
- 1 lemon
- A small bunch of fresh Italian parsley , finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring a quart of water to the boil in a large saucepan. Pour in your grits or cornmeal and cook following the package instructions. If you're using polenta, check the package to make sure the ratio of water to polenta is the same. Be sure to stand over the pan and stir constantly to make sure there are no lumps and it doesn't catch
- When your grits are ready, add the butter and grated cheese, and stir and beat in really well. Have a taste and add some seasoning to the point where it's delicious. Pop the lid on the pan to keep the grits warm while you prepare the shrimp and sausage
- Get a large frying pan on a medium heat. If you use raw sausages, squeeze the sausage out of their skin a bit by bit and roll the meat into little 3/4-inch balls. Don't go getting fancy, just pack them into roundish shape. Once you've done that with all your sausages, turn the heat up under the pan and add the meatballs to the pan with some olive oil. Shake the pan every now and then, and after 4 to 5 minutes, the meatballs should be looking gorgeous all over. If you use cooked sausages, slice them into 1/2-inch slices and add them to the pan and cook until you get some browning on both sides
- Add your shrimp and minced garlic and sprinkle in your smoked paprika. Give everything a good shake and withing about 2 minutes the shrimp will be perfectly cooked, add the butter and cook for another minute
- Take the pan off the heat, squeeze in the juice of lemon, add the parsley and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to mix everything. Have a taste and adjust seasoning as needed
- At this point, your grits may have kinda thicken up even more and may look like a cake. Don't panic, that's the way it is the longer it sits. Stir a splash of boiling water into your grits to bring them back to life, and divide between your plates. Spoon over the shrimps and sausages and don't forget the juices too
