Barbecued shrimp with cheese grits or polenta is a perfect marriage of flavors. Spicy sauce coats the shrimp, cheese adds flavor to the smooth creamy grits.
Grits or Polenta a rustic food
Polenta has been dubbed by some “Italian grits “. Although they both are made from coarsely ground corn. Polenta and grits share another common link, they were considered food of poverty.
Sometimes people will identify themselves as a distinct culture by their traditional foods.
For Southern Italians, it was pasta and pizza that was the cornerstone of their diet, in Northern Italy, their staple food was polenta.
Corn the Start of Polenta and Grits
Just as the Southern Italians worked in the fields with their bellies full of pasta, Northern Italians subsisted on little more than polenta for centuries.
To a Southerner, eating grits is practically a religion. No breakfast is complete without grits.
Polenta and grits are now defying their humble origin and they’re moving on up.
Barbecued Shrimp with Cheese Grits
Grits and polenta moves uptown
They now have a new audience, the gourmet food restaurant and a more high-end clientele.
But you can still find polenta and grits as a staple in the ordinary kitchen, and it’s still eaten for breakfast here in the South.
The Italians now serve it with just about anything and it’s no longer just a northern food, it’s now spread to every corner of Italy.
Barbecued shrimp over grits
This recipe of Barbecued Shrimp with Cheese Grits was a basic breakfast in the Low Country of South Carolina and particularly Charleston. We did give it a slight variation.
The original dish consisted of a pot of grits with shrimp cooked in a little bacon grease or butter. We’ve dressed it up a bit by first seasoning the shrimp with salt and pepper, and then brushing it with our Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
We finish by then grilling the shrimp in our cast iron grill pan.
Barbecued Marinated Shrimp on the Grill
After we brush the shrimp with All Our Way Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, we make our grits/polenta. Our method of cooking polenta or grits is very easy and guarantees that you will not have lumps!
How?
You add the polenta/grits to cold water and then you heat the mixture.
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
- 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
- 1/4 cup All Our Way Spicy Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and brush on both sides with the Bourbon Barbecue Sauce.
- In the meantime make the grits/polenta and keep it warm.
- Grease a cast iron grill pan with the oil.
- Grill the shrimp over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Serve with cheese grits and additional barbecue sauce.
The grits/polenta with shrimp is an ideal marriage of flavors, they go together perfectly. You will find many restaurants now offer this combination at a considerably higher cost than what you can make it at home.
- 4 cups chicken broth ( can use low-sodium broth if you're watching sodium)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup old-fashioned grits or polenta
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- In a medium saucepan mix the cold chicken broth, minced garlic and grits or polenta and over moderate heat, bring to a low boil, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, 20 minutes. ( It will take longer with the polenta).
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese, olive oil, butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with the barbecued shrimp and sprinkle the green onion around the dish.
- If using polenta, it will take a little longer to finish.
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