Southern Food, Shrimp, and Restaurant Recipes
Ralph and I are on a long road trip, with an emphasis on eating and collecting restaurant recipes. After spending four days in New York, I decided to take a break and only eat plain food for a few days. It is the same idea that an expensive restaurant has when they let your palate "rest" between courses. So we took the time to travel down the East Coast, and have landed in Charleston, South Carolina.
The city is a combination of the Deep South and a seacoast town. It is justly proud of its long history, beautiful buildings, and natural setting. Being from New England, the warm weather is a real change, and I am glad for the breezes that come in off the coast.
The dish I picked to add to my collection of restaurant recipes is also a combination of southern food and seafood, reflecting the town that I found it in. It has very tender shrimp combined with grits, and livened with spicy sausage. Even for those people who have no idea what grits are, this dish is definitely worth making and eating. Another southern staple is the use of hot pepper sauce, which can be added to make the dish as spicy as desired. It was created and is served at The Boathouse, a truly wonderful restaurant in Charleston.
Spicy Shrimp with Sausage and Grits
1/3 cup green hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 cup whipping cream
5 cups water
3 cups whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups grits or cornmeal
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces bratwurst or kielbasa
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup minced onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
30 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Combine hot pepper sauce, wine, shallot, lemon juice and vinegar in heavy medium saucepan. Boil over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Bring 1/2 cup cream, 5 cups water, milk and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits. Simmer until grits are very soft and thickened, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage, both bell peppers, onion and garlic; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add shrimp, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay seasoning and sauté until shrimp are opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
On each of six plates, serve grits, then spoon on shrimp mixture, and drizzle with warm pepper-cream sauce, and serve.
The management of this great restaurant also does catering for two of the historic places in Charleston, Boone Hall Plantation and Magnolia Plantation. Any visit to Charleston must include a stop at one or both of these buildings, to see the lovely buildings and to walk under the trees draped in Spanish moss that have stood guard for generations. Meeting the people and walking through the grounds will be brought to my mind again whenever I serve this amazing dish, the latest addition to my collection of restaurant recipes.
