Food The Recipe Thread [tm--CajunCook] (1 Viewer)

[Dave]

2 questions: Have you ever finely diced the chipotles and included them? Also, do you ever take pics of your food? Those recipes seem really good, but pics might make them better...

I didn't chop up the chipotles for that recipe. All you need is is the adobo sauce for the flavor. I do take pics of my food. My whole instagram account is the food I cook. Although a picture of the sauce wouldn't show much.

 

[Dave]

I guarantee this will be one of the best versions of Shrmp and Grits you've ever had. They key is toasting the shrimp shells(I added the heads also) in butter while making the stock.


Shrimp and Grits
Serves 4

Grits:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup grits
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 cups water
Salt and pepper

Shrimp:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/4 cups water
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus extra for serving
4 scallions, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS

1. FOR THE GRITS: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add grits and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add milk, water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, whisking often, until thick and creamy, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.

2. FOR THE SHRIMP: Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells are spotty brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Strain shrimp stock through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. You should have about 1 1/2 cups stock (add more water if necessary to equal 1 1/2 cups). Wipe out skillet with paper towels.

4. Cook bacon in now-empty skillet over medium-low heat until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until edges of shrimp are just beginning to turn pink, but shrimp are not cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp mixture to bowl.

5. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in shrimp stock until incorporated. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

6. Stir in shrimp mixture, cover, and cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice, Tabasco, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over grits, sprinkled with scallions, and passing extra Tabasco.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
This Carolina classic is famous for its tender shrimp, silky gravy, and creamy grits. To control the cooking of the shrimp, we parcook them in rendered bacon fat. We set them aside while creating a light gravy of flavorful (and quick) shrimp stock, bacon, garlic, lemon, and Tabasco; we then finish cooking the shrimp directly in the gravy. We found that toasting the grits before adding liquid helps bring out the most corn flavor. Chopped scallions finish the dish with a jolt of freshness.

We prefer untreated shrimp—those without added sodium or preservatives like sodium tripolyphosphate. Most frozen E-Z peel shrimp have been treated (the ingredient list should tell you). If you’re using treated shrimp, do not add the salt in step 4. If you use our winning grits (Anson Mills Pencil Cob) or other fresh-milled grits, you will need to increase the simmering time by 25 minutes.

 

[dtc]

Excellent rundown, Dave, but why are you specifying the non-stick and why not white wine or stock or the deglaze?

I'm prone to jacking my grits way up with cream, cream cheese or whatever so I won't get us off the rails, but reading your post decided for me what tomorrow's dinner will be.

If I were Buzd, I'd modify your recipe as follows:

Shrimp:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, HEADS shells reserved
1 tablespoon tomato paste concentrate from the tube
2 1/4 cups water // deglaze with 1/2 c dry white and add the balance in seafood stock.
30 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (kidding)
8 garlic clove, minced Emeril is not kidding
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1/2 lemon finely grated zest.
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus extra for serving
4 scallions, sliced thin




I wish this thread were more active. i know we have some pros on here like Twyst and some very accomplished eaters and cooks so bump to provoke sharing....

 

[buzd]

If I were Buzd, I'd modify your recipe as follows:

If you were me, you'd never use regular Tabasco in anything. Crystal, Louisiana, or Valentina's Extra Spicy for me.

(And I like some of their other sauces, but by the time you get enough heat from regular Tabasco, the flavor takes over everything).

 

[wnelson]

Don't know if this has been posted but this is pretty tasty and insanely easy. infinite substitutions but always eat with an avocado.

in a crock pot on low for 8 hours combine

1-1.25 lbs chicken breast fat trimmed
1 regular sized jar of really good salsa
1 can of black beans
1 packet enchilada seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing

after 7.5 hours shread chicken with a fork and serve with fresh avocado and sour cream.

 

[wnelson]

crystal is the real mvp of the local hot sauces.

 

[Andrus]

I really like Crystal, but I also really like Louisiana Hot Sauce. Tabasco?... not so much.

If you were me, you'd never use regular Tabasco in anything. Crystal, Louisiana, or Valentina's Extra Spicy for me.

(And I like some of there other sauces, but by the time you get enough heat from regular Tabasco, the flavor takes over everything).

 

[sfidc3]

've used trout, redfish, and lemon fish which all worked well.

By Lemon Fish do you mean Cobia? Most underrated food fish in the world IMO, they are incredible...Cheers

 

[billinms]

I really like Crystal, but I also really like Louisiana Hot Sauce. Tabasco?... not so much.

Louisiana is my go to brand but I found one in Natchez I absolutely love. They have three sauces (levels of heat) and the middle one is what I prefer.

www.devereuxfoods.com

 

[wnelson]

Best tuna ever

1 can albacore tuna
1 whole avocado
1 tbsp. mayo
1 tbsp. horseradish
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup day old cooked rice


mix well and enjoy

 

[daMixter]

Tried this Smoked Mullet dip recipe this past weekend. I must say it's pretty darn tasty- plenty of excellent comments on it.
I have a buddy that throws the cast net off his dock and fillets the mullet right there while they are literally still flopping. He gives me fillets with no bone and no skin- I just rinse and pop in the smoker. The serrano pepper is whole peppers I dried in the dehydrator and ground in the coffee grinder.

About 2 pounds smoked mullet
1 1/4 cup mayo (the real stuff like Duke's or Hellman's)
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp. ground serrano pepper
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch green onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. hot sauce (I use Texas Pete or Louisiana)
1 tsp soy sauce

Mix all together, chill, and enjoy

 

[Dave]

Excellent rundown, Dave, but why are you specifying the non-stick and why not white wine or stock or the deglaze?

I'm prone to jacking my grits way up with cream, cream cheese or whatever so I won't get us off the rails, but reading your post decided for me what tomorrow's dinner will be.

If I were Buzd, I'd modify your recipe as follows:

Shrimp:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, HEADS shells reserved
1 tablespoon tomato paste concentrate from the tube
2 1/4 cups water // deglaze with 1/2 c dry white and add the balance in seafood stock.
30 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (kidding)
8 garlic clove, minced Emeril is not kidding
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1/2 lemon finely grated zest.
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus extra for serving
4 scallions, sliced thin




I wish this thread were more active. i know we have some pros on here like Twyst and some very accomplished eaters and cooks so bump to provoke sharing....

The non skillet is best for this recipe because you aren't looking for the fond to build the flavor in the sauce due to making a shrimp stock. I love cooking with wine, but for this recipe it's not necessary with the flavors in the dish. If you do make this recipe, make it at least once without changing or adding anything to it. It's so good that once you taste it you won't want to make any changes.

 

[Dave]

Here is another excellent burger sauce, but make sure you use freshly ground black pepper:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ teaspoon sweet pickle relish
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

I usually quadruple the recipe.

 

[Ambush]

Simple crab cakes.

Boil shrimp, potatoes, corn and garlic like you would for a crawfish boil. (Or buy from local seafood shop.

1 lb shrimp
4-6 boiled crabs (or substitute lobster meat)
2 shredded ears of corn
1 head of garlic
6-8 small potatoes.

Dice shrimp and combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add about a cup of bread crumbs and about 3/4 of mayo. And about 1/4 sugar. Mush it all together in form of crab cake. I like to add 1/2 cup feta or other crumbled/shredded flavorful cheese.

In hot olive oil, about 1 minute per side as everything is already cooked, you just want to crisp the out side.

 

[dtc]

Leftover gouda grits with garlic make an excellent carb cut for leftover gumbo when you don't feel like waiting for an hour to get your rice on.