WHOA DOC!!!! What’s up with the squash thing you got goin’ on ?!?!?!? It’s fall stunad. They’re everywhere, and they go with just about everything, so get used to it. Besides, they’re CHEAP!!!!!! So you’ve got a great inexpensive side or entree. Now…on with the recipe. Shrimp and Grits is an American classic, and so is pumpkin, so I thought, why not put them both together? Well I did. This will serve four.
- 1 lb, peeled and de-veined shrimp
- 1 tbsp. Old Bay
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1 lb pumpkin (or another squash, whatever. I used a little Sugarloaf pumpkin)
- 1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese
- 1/4 c. heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3/4 c. grits
- 2 c. Chicken Stock
- This is another crazy one for you…NO OVEN PRE-HEATING!!!!!! What I like to do to soften up the pumpkins a little bit and make then easy to peel is split them and pop them in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, depending on the size. Let them cool for a minute, them either cut the skin off with a knife, or scoop it out with a spoon. Now dice the pumpkin into 1/4 inch pieces.
- Take just a bit of the butter and melt it in a saute pan. Add your squash and let it caramelize. Toss or stir after a minute Season with salt and pepper and add the cinnamon. Keep cooking it for a few more minutes until it’s nice and brown. Set this aside for now.
- Now for the grits. Take some of the butter and your garlic and start it on low heat. Sweat the garlic for just a minute, then add your grits and stock and let them cook on low heat. Stir them with a whisk every minute or so until they’re soft. This can take about 15-20 minutes (there’s usually instructions on the bag…just sayin’)
- Add most of the pumpkin you caramelized, save just a bit for garnish. Then add 1 tbsp of butter, and the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Set this aside to set up for just a minute.
- SHRIMP TIME!!!! Heat up the last of your butter in a saute pan, on a medium flame, and wait until it starts to sizzle. Toss your shrimp in the Old Bay and cook it slowly in the butter. This is one of the very few times you don’t want a good hard sear. Why not?!?! Easy, it wouldn’t be shrimp and grits. Add the last bit of pumpkin after a couple of minutes and heat it through. If you like, you can add some of the last bit of cream and make a quick sauce.
- Now just put it together. Lay the grits down in a bowl and pour the shrimp over top.
If you want to do your grits ahead of time, you can certainly stop the cooking process right before you add your cream and pumpkin. When you’re ready to heat them up, just add some water or chicken stock and loosen them up a bit. Not a pumpkin fan or a squash fan? Tough. Try it, trust me you’ll like it. Happy Eating -The Doctor.