2cupsmedium ground grits, fine cornmeal, or white polenta
3Tbspbutter
1cupfreshly grated Cheddar cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE PRAWNS AND SAUSAGE:
6good-quality uncooked pork sausages or cooked pork sausages
Olive oil
¾lbraw shrimp, shells off
2clovesgarlic, peeled and minced
½tspsmoked paprika
A pat of butter
1lemon
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