Shrimp smothered in a New Orleans Style BBQ sauce served over cheesy, creamy grits. New Orleans BBQ sauce includes plenty of butter with lemon, garlic, herbs and spices.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Marinamede Ti 2 hourshours
Servings 6
Ingredients
BBQ Shrimp Seasoning (makes about ½ C)
1Tbground black pepper
1Tbcayenne pepper
1Tbkosher salt
1TbCajun seasoning
2TbItalian seasoning
2tsponion powder
BBQ Shrimp
2clovesgarlicsmashed
2TbBBQ Shrimp Seasoning (see above)see recipe above
1Tboyster sauce
1Tbsoy sauce
1TbWorcestershire sauce
2Tbhoney
1lemon
¼Cbuttermelted and cooled
4slicesthick cut bacon
8ozmushrooms*
1red bell pepper
6green onionsdivided
½Cfinely diced celery hearts
1½lbshrimp16-20 size; peeled, deveined, and tail removed
1 14.5ozcan petite diced tomatoesdrained
Cheesy Grits
3½Cchicken stock
1Cstone ground or old fashion grits
¾Cheavy cream
½Cbuttermilk
1Cshredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
reserved green onions
½tspkosher salt
ground black pepper to taste
1tspCajun seasoning
Instructions
To make the seasoning
Combine all of the ingredients. The seasoning will keep for up to 12 months in an airtight container.
To marinade the shrimp
Zest the lemon and reserve for garnish. Juice the lemon and reserve 2 Tb for the marinade.
Chop the garlic into ¼-inch pieces and combine the garlic cloves, 2 Tb BBQ Shrimp Seasoning, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tb lemon juice, and honey in a blender or food processor. Blend the mixture on high speed until smooth.
With the blender or processor on, slowly drizzle in ¼ C of melted, cooled butter. You're looking for an emulsification, like salad dressing.
Once the marinade has emulsified, add the marinade and shrimp to a mixing bowl. Toss to coat the shrimp in marinade. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
To make shrimp
Core the bell pepper and slice into thin strips. Cut the strips into 1-inch pieces.
Finely slice the green onions, separating the green and white portions. Reserve the green portions- half for garnish and half for the grits. Finely dice the celery including any leaves.
Start by placing 4 strips of bacon in a cold, large nonstick pan. Turn the heat on to medium and allow the bacon to cook until totally crisp, turning as needed.
Turn off the heat and remove the cooked bacon. Place the strips on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and discard the rest.
Prepare the mushrooms by wiping clean with a damp cloth, removing any tough part of the stem and slicing into ½-inch pieces.
Add 2 Tb of bacon drippings back to the same large nonstick pan used to crisp the bacon. Turn the heat onto medium-high. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes.
Once the mushrooms start to brown, add the peppers, celery, and white portion of the green onions. Saute for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Once cooked, pour the mushrooms and vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add a drizzle of olive oil along with the shrimp and marinade to the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the shrimp becomes firm and the marinade starts to boil.
Turn the shrimp over and add the drained can of diced tomatoes and mushroom-vegetable mix to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables and tomatoes are warm.
To make grits
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Once the stock is rapidly boiling, add dry grits and stir. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
Once the grits have thickened to about the consistency of pudding and the mix starts to pull away from the sides, add the heavy cream and buttermilk. Cook for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly.
Add the cheese, reserved green portion of the scallions, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine and cook until the cheese is totally melted or about 2 minutes.
Keep the grits warm on the very lowest heat setting, stirring occcassionally. If the grits get too thick, add a touch of chicken stock to loosen the mix.
To serve
Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces. Serve with about 1 C of grits topped with shrimp and sauce, green onions and crumbled bacon. Finish with lemon zest.
Notes
*You can use any type of mushroom you like in this recipe. I've used baby portabella (or creminis as they are sometimes called), beech, and oyster before, but I generally avoid white button mushrooms. They lack flavor and tend to have a spongy texture.