Red Eye Shrimp and Grits

Red Eye Shrimp and Grits

By: Alexa - Columbus, IN - 2016 Recipe Contest

"As the Executive Chef of Artisan Foodworks in Columbus, Indiana, I create original recipes that we use in our catering. This is a home version of one of my most popular dishes. Guests are always surprised to find out that good coffee is the secret ingredient setting my shrimp and grits apart from the rest. The picture I attached is from a recent event that I took. People came back for thirds and fourths, even though there was a full buffet of breakfast foods."

This is a Door County Coffee Fan recipe. It was not made in the kitchens of the Door County Coffee Café.

Ingredients

Featured ingredient: Death's Door Coffee 10 oz. Ground

Shrimp:

    • 1 small Onion, finely diced
    • 2 cups Dry White Wine
    • ½ cup Pureed Garlic
    • ¼ cup finely chopped Fresh Parsley
    • 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
    • 1 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
    • 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Pepper
    • Zest and juice of 1 small Lemon
    • ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 pound 16-20 Shrimp cooked peeled and deveined with tail off

Grits:

    • 1 cup Stone Ground Grits*
    • 3 cups Water*
    • 4 cups Heavy Whipping Cream*
    • ¼ cup Pureed Garlic*
    • 1 teaspoon Salt*
    • 1 teaspoon Pepper*
    • ½ pound Salted Butter*
    • 4 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Gravy:

    • ½ pound Chorizo Sausage removed from casing and crumbled
    • ¼ cup Salted Butter
    • ½ cup All Purpose Flour
    • 4 Garlic Cloves pressed
    • 4 cups Door County Coffee Death's Door brewed coffee
    • ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Pepper
    • ¼ cup fresh Parsley chopped
    • *You may substitute instant grits. Follow package directions and ingredients (omit starred ingreidents) for four servings, adding cheese in the last step.

Instructions

SHRIMP PART ONE:

    1. Combine all ingredients except shrimp in medium mixing bowl. Mix well.
    2. Toss in shrimp. Place in refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour.

GRITS PART ONE:

    1. In a medium bowl, combine grits and water.
    2. Let sit for one hour.

GRITS PART TWO:

    1. Drain grits using strainer.
    2. Combine grits, heavy whipping cream, garlic, salt, and pepper in a heavy stockpot (important to keep grits from burning). Cook over low heat, stirring regularly for 30 minutes.
    3. Add butter and keep stirring. When the grits start to pull away from the sides of the pot, remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Hold in warm oven.

RED EYE GRAVY:

    1. In a medium skillet, cook chorizo sausage until internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and drain fat into a bowl. Set chorizo aside.
    2. In same skillet (do not clean), on low heat, stir in the fat, butter, and flour nonstop. In a few minutes, the flour will start to darken. When the mixture is a light caramel color, stir in remaining ingredients.
    3. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil, continuing to stir constantly. Hold in warm oven.

SHRIMP PART TWO:

    1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in marinade.
    2. Cook until bright pink and center is opaque.
    3. Immediately assemble dish.

DISH:

    1. On a plate or in a bowl, spoon ¼ of the grits with ¼ of the shrimp.
    2. Spoon ¼ of the gravy atop. Repeat three more times.
    3. Garnish each with ¼ of the parsley. Serve immediately with crusty French bread.