Cheesy field fresh corn grits, grilled Old Bay seasoning shrimp served as classy kabobs with no down-home foolishness!
Corn vs Grits
Why serve dried-up corn meal when you can combine freshly shucked corn with the meal to bring the sweetness and moisture back into the grits with real corn!
Sure, in a hurry, I will delight in a huge pot of polenta or cornmeal cooked into a creamy, cheesy bowl of luscious Southern or Italian grits.
But, I live in Maryland, surrounded by corn fields all summer long. Why on earth wouldn’t I know how to make the best dang grits around!
After having visited this lovely corn field and taking home a huge heap of fresh corn to grill, along with some shrimp, I got the idea to make Shrimp and Grits Kabobs! Inspiration is everywhere!
Corn is naturally sweet and releases a kind of ‘milk’, which is why every season when the corn is young, I make Corn Ice Cream!
Shrimp On The Grill
Shrimp cooks in minutes. Actual, minutes. So, why not use the time to prep shrimp with Maryland’s own Old Bay seasoning, put them on skewers (or grilling fish cages), and pop them on the BarBie for five minutes!
The best cooked shrimp to serve with corn, as grits, is with a little smoke and a bit of crisp on its outer layer, not soft and soggy.
Some of the best shrimp dishes I have had in my life were while living in Brazil. Along the coast of Brazil, shrimpers walk out into the water with nets to haul in the shrimp.
Once the shrimp are hauled in, they are tossed onto a horse drawn cart.
The freshly caught shrimp was brought right up to the restaurant I was sitting at, to be prepared in so many delicious ways.
Moqueca Brazilian Stew is usually made with shrimp, though any seafood or fish is used in it. It was first made in the area of Baia, combining both African and Portuguese cuisines, though mostly African.
Cheesy Grits With Shrimp
I am always tickled when I hear a chef state that cheese and seafood don’t go together. Really?
Professional, particularly TV celebrity chefs, often tell you, ‘never seafood and cheese’. Hah, wrong!
In fact, I competed on a Food Network’s show, Clash of the Grandmas, and for one round I made ‘Mac and Cheese Crab Rolls’, rolled in phyllo dough. It was totally a hit with all three judges!
I have often seen professional chefs need to add cream to the grits when simmering them. This is because the cornmeal is dry. When you add an equal balance of freshly grated corn to the cornmeal, there is no need for cream. The corn has a creamy milk of its own.
Classy Kabobs
My rendition of grits for this dish, which allows for the grits to be firm enough to serve on kabob sticks, will take on the density of an Italian Polenta.
Creamy undertones of rich sheep’s milk cheese, served firm, rather than soupy grits (as grits are sometimes served), and with shrimp cooked on the grill, then skewed on kabob sticks along with the cubes of grits, I can’t think of a classier kabob!
And if a Shrimp and Grits Kabob is not your thing, you can always stick to a Classic presentation of cheesy grits in a tapas size bowl, or martini glass and the shrimp laid across the top.
Ingredients Needed
- Corn Meal
- Water
- Freshly shucked corn
- Garlic
- Salt
- Butter
- Grated Cheese
- Shrimp
- Olive oil
- Old Bay seasoning
Equipment Needed
- Saute pot
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Grill or stove top griddle
- Skewers or Kabob sticks
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Stovetop or burner
- Grill of Griddle
Shrimp and Grits Kabobs
Course: Appetizers u0026amp; Tapas, SeafoodCuisine: American Fusion8
servingsCheesy field fresh corn grits, grilled Old Bay seasoning shrimp served as classy kabobs.
Ingredients
Grits Ingredients
Corn meal– 1 cup
Water – 3 cups
Freshly shucked corn – 1 cup
Garlic – 2 cloves
Salt – 1 ½ tsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Grated Cheese – 3/4 cup, Pecorino Romano
Shrimp Ingredients
Shrimp – 1 pound or so, shelled and deveined
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Old Bay seasoning – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Directions
- Grits Preparation – Place the freshly shucked corn into the food processor and puree it until it is creamy.
- Place the pureed corn and corn meal into a pot with water and salt. Bring to a boil, lower, and cook low and slow for about 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Add butter and cheese, stir continuously for another 10 minutes. Cover. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.
- Shrimp Preparation – Prepare grill for cooking the shrimp, or have a cast iron grill pan hot on top of the stove.
- In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the oil and seasoning. Place shrimp on skewer sticks. (Can be prepared in advance and kept cold in the fridge, brought to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling).
- On a hot grill, cook quickly on each side until the color changes to a bright pink/orange.
- Assembly – There are two ways to present this recipe: Place the cooked grits in small serving bowls, or martini glasses and place a short or long skewer stick of grilled shrimp across it.
- Or – Transfer the cooked grits to a baking dish to set and become firm enough to cut into squares.
- Cut into squares to fit a balanced size of the shrimp. Place the squares of grits and shrimp on kabob sticks to serves on a large platter, tapas style.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
