Shrimp & Polenta Grits

This time of year, I go gaga for polenta. We make it for breakfast, turn it into lasagna but our fav dish is shrimp & polenta grits.

I headed straight to my canning cab to find the base of the dish, salsa I canned over the summer. It has roasted tomatoes, peppers, garlic & onions. All good stuff from my garden & Gorman Farm. The other key ingredient is shrimp-tails. They take the sauce-base and transform it into something straight out of the bayou.

Shrimp & Polenta Grits

Ingredients: For the base

  • 1 Jar of homemade salsa OR chop & roast 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 4 Roma tomatoes & 3 jalapeño peppers
  • 4 cups of homemade chicken stock
  • 4 andouille sausages, whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 20 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined & tails reserved
  • Salt & pepper to taste

For the polenta

  • 2 cups of regular polenta
  • 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 cups of homemade chicken stock
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425
  2. In a medium sauce pot, add salsa (or roasted veg), 4 cups of stock, shrimp tails, sausage, & bay leaf
  3. Bring them to a low boil then reduce to simmer
  4. In another pot, add the remaining 6 cups of stock and bring to a boil, reduce To a simmer and slowly whisk in the polenta
  5. Switch your whisk to a long wooden spoon and stir continuously, after 10 mins or so it will start to thicken and between the 10-20 minute mark it will get creamy
  6. Add your butter & cheese to the polenta, check for seasoning and add salt if necessary
  7. When the oven is ready, roast the shrimp, with a little olive oil & s&p for 5-7 mins, then add to the sauce pot to simmer while the polenta comes together
  8. At the 30 minute mark everything should be done and ready to eat! Plate it up, don't forget some of that yummy sauce & dig in!

Don't fret if you don't use up all of the sauce, SAVE IT! I popped my remaining sauce into a freezer safe container. I have gumbo on my mind and lots of homegrown okra waiting for me in the freezer, this sauce will be a great addition.