BBQ Shrimp and Grits

Check out our recipe for a Southern classic, BBQ Shrimp & Grits.
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 12 raw colossal shrimp, unpeeled, with heads and tails left on (If colossal shrimp are not available, use the largest you can find.)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper**
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• half alemon, seeded
• ¼ pound (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, preferably Plugra or other European style butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
• warm, crusty French bread, for serving

**To coarse-grind the peppercorns, use a blender or peppermill. The grind is important to the taste of the finished dish.

Directions:

1. Place the shrimp, Worcestershire, pepper, Creole seasoning, garlic, and 1 tablespoon water in a heavy 10-inch, stainless-steel sauté pan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the shrimp and add the rind and pulp to the pan.
2. Over high heat, cook the shrimp while gently stirring and occasionally turning the shrimp.
3. After about two minutes of cooking, the shrimp should start turning pink on both sides, indicating they are nearly half cooked.
4. If the shrimp are the colossal size, add 2 tablespoons water to the pan. Otherwise, don’t add water.
   
5. Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue cooking as you gradually add the cold pieces of butter to the pan. While turning the shrimp occasionally, swirl the butter pieces until they are incorporated into the pan juices, the sauce turns light brown and creamy as it simmers, and the shrimp are just cooked through. This will take about two minutes total if the shrimp are extra-large, and about three minutes total if they’re colossal. Do not overcook the shrimp.

Cream Cheese Grits Ingredients:

• ¾ cup grits, stone ground
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 6 ½ Tbsp cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the grits, chicken stock, heavy cream, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper in a pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a slow simmer.
2. Stir the grits frequently to prevent sticking and burning.
3. Continue to cook on a slow simmer making sure to constantly stir the grits if they get to thick before they are tender.