Grits. The mere mention of the word to a man born and raised in the north of the US is enough to evoke thoughts of the misunderstood Deep South, and send a chill down one's spine. Maybe, the twang of banjo music floats across the consciousness...
Mention grits to one of the Brits (heh heh - no rhyme intended but that sure is funny), and it's the same reaction you would get as mentioning the words 'spotted dick' to someone from Mississippi.
The point? Grits is just food. Corn-based food. And let me tell you something.... this was a real winner. To be honest, we've been on a little Bobby Flay kick lately and every one of them has just knocked it out of the park. This one is no exception. And it's EASY!
As we sat eating this, the eye-rolling and yummy-noise making continued all the way up to the last bite and beyond. My only revision for next time is that I'll use jumbo prawns instead of regular ones just because I would have like a little more of it on the plate.
SHRIMP
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ½ cups Enriched Chicken Stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons chipotle chile puree
Kosher salt
1 ½ cups quick-cooking grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 3 teaspoons honey
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
Red Chile Oil (optional) - I used a chile-infused olive oil
Thinly sliced green onion, white and green parts, for garnish (optional)
GREEN ONION-CILANTRO SAUCE
1 cup sliced green onions, white and green parts (about 12)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canola oil
SHRIMP
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roast the sweet potato on a rack in the oven until tender when pierced with a knife, 45 to 60 minutes.
Peel the sweet potato and puree the flesh in a food processor or pass it through a ricer; set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock, milk, chipotle puree, and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the sweet potato puree and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and honey to taste. Cover and keep warm.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Cook half of the shrimp until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and shrimp.
Spoon the grits into 4 shallow bowls and arrange the shrimp around the grits. Drizzle with the green onion-cilantro sauce and red chile oil and sprinkle with green onion.
GREEN ONION-CILANTRO SAUCE
Combine the green onions, cilantro, vinegar, 1/4 cup cold water, the mustard, and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified. This can be made up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated.
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