I have made numerous shrimp and grits recipes but this New Orleans Style Shrimp and Grits is by far my favorite and definitely fits an "easy elegant" theme. I originally learned how to cook this while taking a class at the New Orleans School of Cooking during a visit in 2017 and since then, I have tweaked the recipe to improve it. Oh, and adding a runny egg can only make any dish better.
I started by whisking two cups of stone ground grits into four cups of boiling chicken stock. You can use water, but the chicken stock adds more flavor. I reduced the heat to a simmer, covered, and cooked for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking/burning.
While the grits cooked, I fried one pound of diced bacon until crispy, removed to a paper towel lined plate, and removed all but two tablespoons of bacon drippings. To the drippings, I melted one stick of butter. (Don't worry, this recipe is for six people.)
To the melted butter, I added six cloves of minced garlic, cooking for one minute, then two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, one quarter cup of beer, the juice of one lemon, one bay leaf, a heaping tablespoon of molasses, one teaspoon of salt, and one half teaspoon of black pepper. I let it cook until reduced by half, around five minutes and tasted for seasoning.
I added one and a half pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp and cooked just until they turned pink. I added back the crumbled bacon and removed from the heat.
I added a mound of grits to the center of each bowl, arranged the shrimp and bacon mixture, and then spooned the sauce all over and around the grits. I finished the plate with a runny egg*, sliced chili peppers, chopped scallions, and parsley leaves.
*Tip for cooking the eggs all at once - While the grits cooked, I sprayed a sheet pan with cooking spray, and popped it into a cool oven. I set the temperature to 400 degrees and let the sheet pan preheat in the oven. I cracked six eggs into a bowl, and then when the oven/sheet pan finished preheating, I removed the pan, poured on the eggs, and popped back into the oven until the whites were set and the yolks still runny.
And for a sweet treat that can be served before, with, or after the shrimp and grits, these Blackberry and Granola Yogurt Parfaits could not be more perfect. Layers of vanilla yogurt that I doctored up with brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of cream, vanilla granola, and fresh blackberries. A sprig of fresh mint is the perfect finish and I always like to serve this in a martini glass, just because!
Nothing screams "comfy cozy" like homemade biscuits and gravy, but my Sausage Biscuits with Gravy and Pimiento Cheese takes it to a whole new level.
The pimiento cheese consists of a seven-ounce package of finely grated cheddar cheese, one four-ounce jar of chopped pimientos, two tablespoons of chopped scallions, one quarter cup of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. I combined and refrigerated it.
Next, it was time to begin working on the biscuit dough. Everything must be very cold in order for the biscuits to be flaky so I put all of the ingredients - four cups of self rising flour, one stick of diced butter, the mixing bowl, and the dough hook attachment - into the freezer for twenty minutes. I also had three cups of cold buttermilk in the refrigerator. While the ingredients chilled, I placed a large, cast iron skillet into a cold oven and preheated it to 425 degrees.
I added the flour and butter into the cold mixing bowl, attached the cold dough hook, and set to medium speed, until the butter was the size of peas. I started by adding two cups of the cold buttermilk until the dough started to come together but was still wet. I ended up using approximately two and one quarter cups of the buttermilk.
I turned the dough out onto a floured surface, pressed into a one inch thick mound, and used a two and half inch cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits. By this time, the cast iron skillet was piping hot so I removed it from the oven, added one tablespoon of vegetable oil, and snugly tucked in the biscuits.
I brushed the tops with melted butter and stuck the skillet back into the oven for twenty minutes.
I sliced a log of breakfast sauce into medallions and fried until browned and crispy, approximately seven minutes per side.
In the same pan as the sausage, I added two tablespoons of butter, two minced garlic cloves, one teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, and a half teaspoon of dried sage. I cooked for thirty seconds and then added two tablespoons of flour, cooking for several minutes. The final step was to whisk in one cup of milk and cook until thickened. I seasoned with salt and pepper and removed from the heat while I built the biscuits.
I added a generous layer of the pimiento cheese...
...followed by a sausage patty...
...and finally a heaping spoonful of gravy and a sprinkling of fresh chives, salt, and pepper.
Try one, try both. But either way, these recipes prove that brunch does not have to be difficult or boring!
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