Cajun Shrimp & Grits
This delicious shrimp and grits recipe is so easy and best of all made-from-scratch. It's a classic, southern comfort food with shrimp, bacon and andouille sausage in a Cajun sauce served over creamy, cheesy grits. It's packed with flavor and oh so good!
Ingredients
Grits
- 4 cups chicken stock homemade if you have time
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal preferably stone-ground
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese preferably freshly grated
- 2 tbsp sour cream *the secret ingredient
- 2 tbsp butter
Shrimp
- 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined reserve the tails for stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6-8 oz andouille sausage sliced into rounds
- 4-6 pieces thick-cut bacon diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced or minced
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1/4 tsp paprika seasoning
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup shrimp stock made from the shells
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp butter
- a few dashes of hot sauce optional
- 1 kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 chopped parsley
Instructions
Shrimp Stock
- In a small saucepan, add shrimp shells and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the water is reduced by half. Strain.
Grits
- In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and garlic to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and whisk in the cornmeal, stirring constantly.
- Switch to wooden spoon, add salt and pepper and cook and stir until thick, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese, sour cream and butter. Taste for seasonings and cover with lid to keep warm.
Cajun Topping
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage rounds and cook until golden and brown. Remove to a paper plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Add bacon to the same skillet and cook until it starts to crisp. Save 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet and remove the bacon to the plate with the sausage to drain.
- Add onion to the skillet with the bacon drippings and cook until translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic, stir and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season shrimp with a little black pepper, Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika and add to the skillet. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp is just cooked through.
- Add wine and shrimp stock to pan and deglaze by scraping up any browned bits. Simmer about 3 minutes or so.
- Stir in Worcestershire and lemon juice.
- Add the sausage and bacon back to pan, season with salt and pepper and a few shakes of hot sauce. Toss to combine well and heat through.
- To finish, swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter until incorporated. Spoon over grits, top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Stone ground grits are the best grits because they contain more fiber and nutrients than regular grits. They're not processed and can absorb flavors and other ingredients better.
- The better quality the Parmesan cheese, the better. Get it from your grocery store deli fresh. Not the kind that is processed and sold in a bag.
- Frozen shrimp is fine to use. Just save the tails. But again here, the more fresh the better. I always get my shrimp raw from the seafood counter at the grocery store.