1402 palmetto shrimp & grits

  

First, a confession:  although I've lived in the Carolinas my whole life, until this weekend I had never made shrimp and grits. (I still haven't been to a NASCAR race or seen Gone with the Wind...I have a long way to go.)

Although I grew up in the South, my mom was an Air Force kid so we didn't eat your typical southern cuisine. We called our evening meal "supper," but it was more likely to be Chinese stir fry than chicken-fried steak.

If you know southern cooking, you probably know the Lee Bros...and if, like me, you have just started to get acquainted with it, their Southern Cookbook is a great introduction.

My recently wed sister and brother-in-law used this as a guestbook at their wedding this spring, and lucky for me they also gave copies as bridesmaid gifts. This is the kind of cookbook you can actually read, with stories to go along with every recipe and pictures that make you want to jump in and eat what's on the page.

I'm making my way through the recipes slowly but surely, and I thought I'd start with an essentially Charleston dish: shrimp & grits. My family changed it up a little to suit our tastes and what we had on hand, so for now, in honor of our beach house, I'm calling it 1402 Palmetto Shrimp & Grits.

 

1402 palmetto shrimp & grits 
adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook (83 East Bay Street Shrimp & Grits) 
4 servings

ingredients:
shrimp stock
   1 1/2 lbs headless large shrimp
   3 c water
   1/2 tsp peppercorns
   1/2 tsp celery seeds
   1 bay leaf, in pieces
   1 tsp kosher salt
   1 tsp ground red pepper (if you like things spicy) 
grits
   1 1/2 c stone-ground grits (recommended:  Anson Mills)
   1 1/2 c whole milk
   3 c water
   kosher salt and black pepper to taste

   kernels from 3 ears of sweet corn 

gravy
   1 lb tomatoes (about 3 medium tomatoes)
   1 tbsp olive oil
   1/4 lb andouille sausage, diced
   1 small green bell pepper, chopped
   1 small yellow onion, chopped
   1 tbsp plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour
   kosher salt and black pepper to taste
   handful chopped chives, to garnish (optional)

 
instructions:
Peel shrimp, reserving the shells. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat. Add shells and rest of stock ingredients. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock and reserve. Discard shells.


While stock simmers, stir grits into a bowl of cold water and allow to settle. Corn hulls may float to the surface. Skim off hulls and drain grits. In a medium saucepan, bring milk and 3 c water to a boil over high heat. Add grits, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce heat to medium, add salt and cook, stirring occasionally

Once grits thicken (about 10 minutes), reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently and adding water if grits become too stiff. Cook until grits are fluffy and creamy, 35 to 45 minutes. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and stir in corn kernels.

While grits cook, place tomatoes in a medium roasting pan or cast-iron skillet. Broil them about 3 inches from the flame or heating element, turning as their skins blacken, until they’re blackened all over, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a food processor or blender and pulse to a soupy liquid, about three 1-second pulses. Press the liquid through a food mill or coarse strainer into a medium bowl.

Pour olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and with a slotted spoon move the pieces around until they are browned, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and onion and sauté until they just begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the shrimp stock into a small bowl, add the flour and whisk until it becomes a smooth paste. Pour remaining shrimp stock into the skillet with the sausage, pepper, and onion. When the mixture reaches a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook at a vigorous simmer until vegetables have softened.

Add flour paste to pan, whisking vigorously to distribute flour evenly. Add sieved tomato mixture to skillet, stirring, and return to a simmer. Cook until the mixture turns into a gravy thick enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily, 10 to 12 minutes more.

Add shrimp to gravy and continue cooking until they are pink and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide grits among 4 plates and ladle the shrimp and gravy on top. Garnish with chives.

summer brunch (& happy father's day)

We're wrapping up another Father's Day, and I have an announcement to make:  I have the best dad in the world. I know, I know, many of you probably thought your father or husband held that title, and I'm sure those men are all perfectly lovely human beings. To me, though (and I speak for my sister here as well), my dad wins.

So, what do you make for the best dad in the world on Father's Day? Brunch, obviously.

Brunch is an institution in Charleston, and there are a ton of great places to go (a few of my favorites:  High Cotton for food, Triangle for mimosas, Fuel for everything). But I was visiting my parents at Edisto Beach, and homemade brunch holds a special place in my heart anyway...not least because it means I can crawl back to my bed after the inevitable food coma that comes along with two meals in one.

We had a small group today, just my mom, my dad, and me, but the good thing about small groups is you can make a lot of different dishes without too much trouble. Our menu included light blueberry muffins, not-so-light cheddar and cream strata, fresh tomatoes and watermelon, mimosas, and the star of every show, bacon.

And now I'm really sad I didn't bring any leftovers home with me. But hey, at least I have pictures.


summer brunch menu
blueberry crunch muffins (recipe follows)
cheddar & cream strata (recipe follows)
sliced tomatoes 
sliced watermelon
mimosas
bacon



blueberry crunch muffins
adapted from america's test kitchen 
makes a dozen
per muffin:  199.7 cal, 2.1g fat, 45.8g carb, 1.0g fiber, 4.5g protein, 6+ weight watchers

ingredients:
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cake flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 c packed light brown
   sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c plain nonfat Greek
   yogurt
1 1/2 c blueberries

instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line it with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose and cake flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

In a small bowl, melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture, remaining brown sugar, and cinnamon, and mix together with a fork to make a crumbly topping. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, use a mixer on medium-high speed to beat remaining butter with granulated sugar until thoroughly combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Using a mixer on low speed, alternatingly add flour mixture and yogurt to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill each muffin cup with about 1/2 cup batter, then sprinkle crumb topping over them all. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached.

overnight cheddar and cream strata
adapted from america's test kitchen
serves 4
per serving:  353.6 cal, 21.4g fat, 22.3g carb, 1.6g fiber, 18.3g protein, 9+ weight watchers

ingredients:

does this look like a US state to anyone else?

1 tbsp unsalted butter,
   softened
a few slices dense white
   bread (I used sections of
   an epi I had left over)
4 oz sharp cheddar, grated
3/4 c whole milk
1/4 c heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 shallot, minced
handful of parsley, chopped
dollop of dijon mustard
1/4 tsp hot sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

instructions:
Grease a small casserole and line bottom with bread. Butter tops of bread and sprinkle with half of cheddar.

Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, shallot, parsley, mustard, and hot sauce. Pour over bread and top with remaining cheddar. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap dish and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. You can also speed up the browning process by broiling for a couple minutes at the end.

my dad ate all the bacon before i could get a picture of it (who am i kidding? i ate most of it.)

an unseasonable salad

There was a time back in the dead of winter (which in Charleston translates to temperatures consistently in the fifties) when I ate brussels sprouts at least three times a week. I roasted them, sauteed them, put them on pizzas and in omelets. To my surprise I liked them raw as well as cooked, and a salad I found on food52 became a regular menu item for me. I talked about this salad A LOT, as anyone who spent more than 10 minutes with me during that period can attest.

But the bounty of spring and summer made me forget about the miniature cabbages that had served me so well in January and February. I moved on to salads of baby lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, and sweet corn. Brussels sprouts left my life as suddenly as they had appeared.

Then, this Sunday I saw a tiny basket of them at The Vegetable Bin, my favorite source for produce in Charleston. I took all of them. I made my winter salad again. I'm not ashamed to say I licked the bowl.

brussels sprouts salad
adapted from food52
4 small servings, or 2 large
per large serving:  238.5 cal, 16.3g fat, 21.1g carb, 4.1g fiber, 6.2g protein, 7+ weight watchers

This is a very flexible recipe. You can use whatever cheese you want, or omit it altogether for a vegan version. I've replaced the cheese with nutritional yeast with some success. The salad could also easily be turned into a light main dish by adding some protein; chickpeas work perfectly.

ingredients:
1/4 lb brussels sprouts (about 12 large),
   trimmed and sliced thinly
2 ribs celery, diced
2 c arugula, chopped
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c crumbled feta
2 tbsp chopped toasted walnuts
juice of half a lemon (about 1 tbsp)
2 tsp oil of your choice (I used
   grapeseed)
salt and crushed red pepper, to taste

instructions:
It's a salad. Toss all ingredients together and serve!