Cajun Shrimp & Grits

Chef Dane Shipp posts his latest creations on his Instagram feed, a veritable tasting menu of delicious dishes like the one he generously shares here. Find him @chefdanefly.

October 13, 2020

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 2 Serving(s)

2 cups milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
12 grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced red onion
10 peeled, deveined shrimp
3 tablespoons blackening spice, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

For the grits:

Heat milk to a low boil in a medium saucepan. When it just starts to boil, slowly whisk in yellow cornmeal. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and Parmesan cheese; season well with salt and pepper.

For the tomato relish:

Quarter the grape tomatoes and toss in a bowl with minced red onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp:

Generously season the shrimp with your favorite blackening spice. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add shrimp and cook in for about 2 minutes on each side, until just pink.

For the Cajun cream sauce:

In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce heavy cream to about ½ cup. Add 2 tablespoons of blackening spice and whisk to combine. Cook until the sauce thickens and takes on a nice orange color.

For plating:

Spoon grits into two serving bowls; top with Cajun cream sauce. Scatter bacon crumbles all over, place tomato-onion relish directly in the middle, and place five shrimp around it. Garnish with scallions.