Blackened Shrimp and Cheese Grits with an Aioli Drizzle

Blackened Shrimp and Cheese Grits Recipe Summary:

Blackened Shrimp

• Thaw, peel and devein shrimp
• Coat shrimp generously with clarified butter or a grape seed oil (Canola oil is fine too)
• Sprinkle the shrimp generously with “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend
• Heat cast iron or heavy skillet to very high heat.  There is no need to add any oil to the pan.
• Add shrimp to hot pan
• Cook each side for about 30 seconds. Determine doneness by watching the color change to a light pink color and the deveined areas begin to curl.

Cheese Grits:

• Follow Cheese Grits recipe below. Click HERE

Aioli Drizzle:

• Follow Aioli Drizzle recipe below. Click HERE

Contents:

Blackened Shrimp

• What am I Looking for in Blackened Shrimp?
• Buying the Frozen Shrimp
• Technique
• Preparation
• Cooking
• When is it Done?

Cheese Grits

• Ingredients
• Cooking the Grits

Aioli Drizzle

• Ingredients
• Mix

 

Blackened Shrimp

In Depth:

Blackened shrimp is one of my favorite things to eat and “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend is great for blackening shrimp. We have served this dish and several Big Green Egg festivals and received great reviews and feedback! The pictures here are from one of those Eggfests.

 

 

 

 

 

What am I looking for in Blackened Shrimp?
I am looking for a shrimp that has a little “pop” when bitten into with very little “bounce” on the chew. Do not overcook the shrimp; It should not be dense and rubbery. I do not want a fishy smell or taste. I love to taste a little blackening seasoning that enhances the wonderful natural flavor of the shrimp, but doesn’t overtake it. I want wonderful blackened shrimp yumminess!

Buying the Shrimp

• I most often use frozen shrimp and look for good quality. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch online guide is a great way to determine what to buy and what to avoid when purchasing shrimp. You can simply enter then type of shrimp and it will tell you their recommendations. So, to help determine the quality of frozen shrimp, you want to find out where it was raised or caught and compare it to their recommendations. http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/groups/shrimp?q=Shrimp
• I prefer to buy frozen shrimp over “fresh” unless buying local at the coast. Most “fresh” shrimp have been previously frozen. Shrimp only have a shelf life of about two days. Always ask if the shrimp have been previously frozen and when they were thawed.
• Avoid brown shrimp. Brown shrimp are caught in deeper water and have a higher iodine level. This natural occurring mineral will be evident in the flavor of the shrimp, especially in large ones.
• Shrimp should not have black spots on their shells, which is an indication that the meat has begun to breakdown. Further, yellowing shells and grittiness may indicate that a bleaching agent has been used to remove the black spots to cover up that the shrimp are beginning breakdown.
• Shrimp should not have a fishy smell and should only smell of saltwater. When thawed, shrimp should be firm and fill their shell completely.
• Shrimp are sold by size that is determined by the “count” of how many it takes to make a pound. I prefer a medium shrimp with a 20-30 count.
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Technique

The technique of blackening that I use came from Chef Paul Prudhomme. This technique cooks the shrimp very quickly and imparts a wonderful flavor into the meat.  The concept here is to add the clarified butter or a high smoke point oil to the shrimp. The oil and moisture from the meat protects them from burning while the shrimp cook. So, you are adding the oil to the meat rather than to the pan. This allows you to heat the pan to a very high heat. The meat cooks very quickly.

Preparation

Cover the shrimp with a high smoke point oil or clarified butter. I prefer grape seed oil, but canola or peanut oil works fine too. If using clarified butter, you need to allow the shrimp to get to room temperature or it will cause the butter to clump up.

Sprinkle the shrimp evenly with “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend.

Let stand for about 10 to 15 minutes before cooking to allow the seasoning to penetrate the meat.

Heat a cast iron or heavy frying pan to very high heat. The pan should, literally, be smoking hot. Do not put oil into the pan.

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Cooking

Put the shrimp in the searing hot pan.

Shrimp cook very quickly. I usually cook about 20 shrimp at a time and lay them down one at a time in a circle on the hot pan. Start turning over the shrimp when the color around the bottom of the shrimp begin to turn pink and the deveined edges begin to curl. By the time you get all the shrimp placed in the pan, it’s about time to start turning the shrimp over, beginning with the first ones placed in the pan.

When is it done?

Determine doneness by watching the color change to a light pink color and the deveined areas are slightly curled.

 

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Cheese Grits:

Ingredients:

1 cup                    Bob’s Red Mill Grits (yellow corn type)

2 cups                  Half and Half

2 cups                  Low Sodium Vegetable Stock

½ teaspoon          Garlic Salt (we prefer Lawry’s brand)

1 teaspoon           Ground Black Pepper

1 teaspoon           Chicken Base Powder (Knorr Brand)

1 teaspoon           “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend

½ cup                   Colby Jack Cheese

¼ cup                   Butter

Cooking the Grits:

***We used Bob’s Red Mill Grits which are yellow grits. We got them at Central Market, but they can also be found online at http://www.bobsredmill.com/corn-grits_polenta.html

Mix liquid, garlic salt, black pepper and “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend and adjust to taste.

Bring mixture to a boil.

Slowly stir in grits.

Cook for 20 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently.

When grits are done, stir in cheese and butter and serve.

Add more stock if grits become too stiff.

The secret to good grits is adding the flavor to the liquid up front. If the liquid mixture tastes great, so will the grits. It is nearly impossible to season your grits after cooking.

This is a recipe that Kelley and I have worked on for years and love it.  Even if you think you don’t like grits, try these… they are great!

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Aioli Drizzle:

Ingredients:

½ cup                 Mayonnaise

½ cup                 Mexican Crema (sour cream)

1 teaspoon         Sriracha sauce

½ teaspoon        “It’s My Rub!” Power Blend

Mix:

Mix ingredients together until smoothly blended.

 

Finishing Touch:

Drizzle aioli on top of shrimp and grits for added flavor and garnish. You could also garnish with some finely sliced chives.

I hope you and your friends enjoy cooking this meal!  And, when people ask, “what makes this taste so good?”…you can proudly say, “It’s My Rub!”

Thanks for reading!

Bruce and Kelley Underwood

Copyright 2014 Underwood’s It’s My Food!, LLC

 

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