Cajun Shrimp and Grits

A few weeks ago, we had a date night dinner at a modern Italian restaurant. I ordered the Braised Pork Shank with Polenta and Roasted Brussels (which I will eventually try to recreate). The whole meal was delicious, but I was most pleasantly surprised by the polenta. Instead of your typical Parmesan in polenta, it was full of smokey Gouda. It was a delicious surprise ingredient that I immediately knew I would emulate at home. So, when the family requested shrimp and grits, instead of the usual cheddar, I added smoked Gouda and it did my disappoint! Cajun Spiced Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Grits and Sautéed Greens was our Friday night dinner.

Cook– 20 minutes
Greens
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1 bunch baby spinach
Splash of white vinegar

Shrimp
1lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3T Cajun seasoning
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4C veggie stock
2T hot sauce
1 pad of butter
1 scallions, chopped

Grits
1C corn grits
3C water
1t salt
1T butter
1/2C milk
4oz smoked Gouda

This meal cooks so quickly; I wrote it up in the order I cooked it, so it all comes together at once. Prep and clean the greens and set aside. Start a sauté pan on low and coat with oil. Add in the garlic and let it simmer away until you are ready to drop the greens.

Next, start your grits by bringing the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. While that heats up, clean and season your shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and s and p. Keep cold until you are ready to toss them in their pan. Preheat a skillet to medium for the shrimp and coat with olive oil.

When your water is boiling for the grits, salt it, turn it down to low , and add the grits while stirring. This comes together very quickly so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t get too dry. Once the grits are soft, add the milk, butter and grated Gouda and stir. Turn off the heat but inter burner to stay warm. Keep covered and add more milk if it is getting too dry. Taste and season.

Once the grits are in, add in the kale first and the splash of vinegar. Allow this to wilt down in medium heat. Season.

While the kale is wilting, toss in your shrimp to the preheated pan. They will only take a couple of minutes total. Once you flip them in the first side, toss in the tomatoes, stock, hot sauce, and butter and stir to coat the shrimp and finish cooking. They are done when firm and pink.

While the shrimp is finishing in the sauce, add in the baby spinach which will wilt down quickly with a couple of stirs. Season with s and p and keep warm until plating.

The Finish
Plate up the grits and top them with the shrimp and their sauce. Add a pile of greens on the side, top the shrimp with the scallions and serve with a bottle of hot sauce for anyone who want some extra spice. Enjoy!!

The Feedback
The grits brought me right back to my restaurant meal. They were creamy and a bit smokey, which was absolutely perfect with the creole spice and hot sauce! I hope you give this a try! For the shrimp haters, you could even try this with little chunks of chicken or fish.