G

Shrimp and Grits (with extra Garlic)

We were low on inspiration this past week, so we only had a single G-inspired dish.  But what a dish it was.

My extended family comes from South Carolina, a place I shun for almost everything except its beaches and cuisine.  Grits is definitely a southern dish, and shrimp and grits even moreso.  I know someone is bound to say, "North Carolina is still The South."  That's all well and good, but I first encountered this dish in SC, and I think it's more highly celebrated down there.  A lot of places can claim ownership of barbeque, for instance.  But I think SC can claim shrimp and grits.

Also, we got the recipe from a small book entitled "A Taste of the South Carolina Coast : Restaurant Recipes."  By Phyllis C. Myers.  This was salvaged from some family member's house, and its cover was completely missing.  There's nothing quite like an arcane concoction from a musty tome.

Now, you can use any old grits and be satisfied, but we were lucky enough to have some from a mountain backwoods mill.  I believe it made the dish heartier than the bleached white grits you get at the grocery store these days.

Here's the recipe:
11th St. Dockside Restaurant
1699 11th Street West
Port Royal

Cook two servings of grits according to box directions, let stand until thick and set aside.  Peel and clean 12 large shrimp, wash in cold water and dry on a paper towel.  Heat 4 tbsp of butter in a large skillet.  Sautee1/2 tsp. fresh garlic, 2 oz. chopped green onions, 2 oz. chopped Tasso ham and 2 oz. of fresh tomatoes.  Add a pinch of chopped fresh basil and 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley.  Add shrimp and cook until pink, then add 2 oz. flour and stir for 1 minute.  Slowly stir in 1 cup milk using a wisk to blend.  Cook slowly on low heat for 2 minutes.  Serve over grits.  Makes two servings.

We made a couple of adjustments.  First, I'm lactose intolerant, so the butter was replaced with ghee.  Second, we didn't have any Tasso ham (which does not come from the ham portion of a pig, by the way), so we used some andouille sausage.  Third, we used more garlic than was orignally called for.  And fourth, the shrimp was anything but fresh - we used frozen shrimp.  De-tailed and de-veined already.

But the end result was awesome.  Shrimp and grits is a great comfort food, and we made it on Saturday after a brief snowfall the night before.  The perfect meal for a cold day.  We complimented it with a cheap white wine.  Let me explain.  There is more than one recipe for shrimp and grits in the little cookbook we used, and Mary had gotten some cheap white wine as an ingredient for one of them.  Who wants to use expensive wine for cooking?  But it was the wrong recipe.  We had already uncorked the wine before we started cooking, so there was really only one option - to drink it.

As an epilogue to this tale, we ate the leftovers the next morning for breakfast.  Yum!

F

Shrimp and Frijole Fajitas on Flour Torillas, with Fig Bon-Bons



Starchy food wrappers have grabbed our attention recently, first with the dumpling/wonton incident, and now with our fajita/burrito meal. If blobs of meat mixture are wrapped in wonton wrappers and steamed, can they be called dumplings? And how are fajitas and burritos any different if they are both meat and bean mixtures wrapped in a soft flour tortilla? We solved the dilemma by declaring indifference in the face of flavor.

The shrimp were quickly sauteed with a very spicy chipotle adobo mixture, and then thrown into a tortilla with a cold frijole negro salad containing awesome amounts of cilantro and green onion. Spicy shrip burritos! I mean... ah screw it... nom nom nom.



The fig bon-bons were a nice jump from central america to the mediterranean. Toasted almond pieces were embedded throughout the morsel of fig, and everything was rolled in granulated sugar. Crunchy, figgy, almondy goodness.

Pan-Seared Chipotle-Shrimp Fajitas with Frijoles negros

adapted from Sheila Lukins USA Cookbook (1997)

1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 recipe Black Bean Salad (below)
flour tortillas

Place the chipotles in a food processor and puree until smooth. Combine shrimp with 3 tablespoons of chipotle puree, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Toss and marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot. Add half the shrimp and saute until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Fill tortillas with shrimp and black bean salad.

Black Bean Salad (Frijoles negros)

adapted from Sheila Lukins USA Cookbook (1997)

DRESSING
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cuminSalt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
SALAD
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 scallions, sliced1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing except for the cilantro. When everything is mixed well add in the cilantro.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot. Add the olive oil and saute the garlic, onion, and parsley. Add the black beans. When they are warmed transfer to a bowl and toss with dressing. Shortly before serving add the red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, and cilantro. Stir well.

Fig Bonbons

adapted from The Good Cook Candy Time-Life Books (1981)

1/2 lb soft dried figs, finely ground in a food processor, operated in shorts spurts
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
about 1/2 cup of sugar

Mix the ground figs and the almonds. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Roll in the sugar to coat them. Let them stand until the sugar is partly absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Roll in sugar again.