20-Minute Creole Shrimp and Quick Grits
Liquid Gold & The Iron Skillet: Southern Pantry Foundations
The soul of Creole cooking doesn't require standing all day over a hot stove; it demands respect for the architecture of flavor. This recipe trades the agonizing wait of a dark roux for a high-heat, aggressive reduction built on the smoky, rendered fat of Andouille sausage and caramelized tomato paste. It rescues quick grits from their bad reputation—they are simply fine-milled stone-ground corn that cook in minutes, provided you salt the liquid before they ever hit the pot. It is a masterpiece of pantry improvisation, delivering the profound, comforting tastes of a New Orleans kitchen on a busy weeknight.
Before you start
Mise en place is non-negotiable.
The high-heat reduction of a Creole gravy moves at breakneck speed. Ensure your Holy Trinity is diced, your garlic is minced, and your spices are fully measured before you ever turn on the stove.
Ingredients
- water2 cup
- whole milk2 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- quick-cooking grits1 cup
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- sharp white cheddar cheese1 cup
- raw shrimp1 lb
- Andouille sausage8 oz
- olive oil1 tbsp
- yellow onion1 small
- green bell pepper1 med
- celery ribs2 med
- garlic cloves3 med
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- Creole seasoning blend1 tbsp
- petite diced tomatoes14.5 oz
- chicken stock1/2 cup
- heavy cream2 tbsp
- hot sauce1 tsp
- green onions1 bunch
Method
- 01
Establish the liquid gold.
Place a large iron skillet over medium-high heat with a drop of olive oil, sear the sliced Andouille sausage until crisp, and remove the meat with a slotted spoon while leaving the smoky, reddish fat behind.
- 02
Start the seasoned liquid for the grits.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water, whole milk, and kosher salt to a gentle boil, watching closely so it does not boil over.
- 03
Sauté the Holy Trinity.
Lower the skillet heat to medium, dump the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery directly into the hot sausage fat, and cook for four minutes until softened and fragrant.
- 04
Whisk and simmer the grits.
Slowly pour the quick grits into the boiling milk mixture while whisking vigorously to prevent lumps, immediately drop the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer for five to seven minutes, whisking occasionally.
- 05
Caramelize the tomato paste.
Push the vegetables to the edge of the skillet, drop the tomato paste into the center, and cook for sixty seconds until it darkens to a rusty brick color before stirring in the minced garlic and Creole seasoning.
- 06
Deglaze and reduce the gravy.
Pour in the undrained diced tomatoes and chicken stock, return the sausage to the pan, and let the sauce aggressively bubble and reduce for four to five minutes until glossy and thick.
- 07
Finish the grits.
Remove the grits from the heat and vigorously stir in the cubed butter and grated cheddar cheese until completely melted and velvety smooth.
- 08
Poach the shrimp.
Turn the skillet heat to medium-low, stir the heavy cream and hot sauce into the gravy, and nestle the raw shrimp into the pan in a single layer to cook for exactly two to three minutes until just opaque.
- 09
Plate the masterpiece.
Ladle a generous portion of cheesy grits into a wide, shallow bowl, spoon the rich Creole gravy and shrimp directly into the center, and garnish generously with sliced green onions.
Notes
Do not buy instant grits.
Quick grits are mechanically milled to a finer grain for a faster cook, which is perfectly acceptable for a weeknight. Instant grits, however, are precooked and dehydrated, yielding a gummy, flavorless paste that is considered culinary heresy.
Salt the liquid, not the grits.
Like pasta, cornmeal absorbs liquid as it cooks. If the water and milk are not aggressively seasoned from the start, the interior of the grits will remain hopelessly bland regardless of how much salt you add later.
Respect the iron skillet.
The immense thermal mass of cast iron prevents the temperature from plummeting when the cold raw shrimp are added, ensuring they poach gently rather than turning into tough rubber.
From Cook Southern Food.