Shrimp & Grits

I had the idea to shoot a few cooking spots, showing people how to make some of my favorite dishes.  The first dish I prepared was Shrimp & Grits with Tomato Habenero Jam.  Below is the video, along with the recipe.  Let me know what you think. 

Quick shout out to my producer LeCarlo Beatty, who did a great job putting this together with me.

Chef Troy

Shrimp & Grits with Tomato Habanero Jam
Serves 4

Ingredients

Polenta
1 ½ Cup Polenta
6 ½ Cups Salted Water
5 Tablespoons of Butter
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper

Tomato Habanero Jam
5 Roma Tomatoes, Peeled, Seeded, & Diced
2 ½ Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 minced Shallot
1 Tablespoon minced Ginger
1 Habanero Pepper
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 tbsp of Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper

Shrimp
1 lb Peeled and Deveined Shrimp
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
½ tsp of Cumin
Salt & Pepper
4 scallion Stalks thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Parsley
4 minced garlic cloves
Olive Oil

Directions:

Polenta
Bring water to a boil and add Salt to taste.   Pour the Polenta into the boiling salted water in a thin stream, while whisking to avoid lumps.  Once Polenta is added to the water, bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low heat.  Cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the water is absorbed.  Then remove from heat and add butter and cream, then add Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Tomato Habanero Jam
In a saucepan heat Olive Oil on medium heat.  Then add shallots until they become translucent.  Then add tomatoes, ginger, sugar, and red wine vinegar.  Halve the habanero pepper and remove the seeds, then add the 2 halves to the pot.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Let mixture reduce for about 20 minutes until it reaches a jam like consistency. 

Shrimp
Rinse and pat dry shrimp.  In a bowl add shrimp and then season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin.  Ensure spice mixture evenly coats the shrimp. In a pan heat Olive Oil.  Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink.  Then add garlic, scallions, and parsley and cook another 2 – 3 minutes. 

Serving
Spoon polenta on plate or in a bowl.  Spoon shrimp and herb mixture on top of polenta, and then spoon Tomato Jam on top of Shrimp.

Serve Immediately and Enjoy!