I’m a 100% pure California girl, born and raised in San Diego. I love to wear flip flops year-round, I live on Mexican food and sushi, and I practically grew up on the beach. I love it here, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. With that said, this California girl can appreciate a good old fashioned southern meal from time to time…especially now that I’m pregnant, hehe. Although I’ve never been to the south, I think they serve some of the most delicious dishes America has to offer. I mean, who doesn’t love smokey barbecue, gooey baked macaroni and cheese, or buttery cornbread?
I felt inspired last weekend to cook up my own version of a southern feast, and it happened to turn out so delicious that I decided to share it with you here. So, without further ado, here’s my take on classic shrimp and grits with apple crisp for dessert:
Tiger Prawns and Andouille Sausage over White Cheddar Grits (makes 4 large servings)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb tiger prawns, pealed and deveined, tails removed (you may use other larger shrimp if you can’t find tiger prawns)
- 2 links andouille sausage, sliced into rounds (you may substitute smoked sausage if you’re not into spicy foods)
- Cajun or blackening seasoning (I used McCormick’s)
- One large tomato, chopped
- One bunch green onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 5 tablespoons butter
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup coarsely ground grits (I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic grits)
- 4 cups milk
- 4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce (I used Tapatio brand…and feel free to use less if you don’t like spice)
- Pinch red chilli flakes
To make the grits, bring the milk, hot sauce and red pepper flakes to a boil. Add in one tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Whisk in grits and turn heat to very low. The mixture will get thick very quickly, but it needs to simmer for about 45 minutes. (During this time you can prepare the shrimp mixture, which takes about 15 minutes to cook.) Stir frequently, and add salt and pepper to taste (about a teaspoon of each). Stir in the white cheddar and you’re ready to serve.
Meanwhile, over medium-high heat, coat your pan with olive oil and add your sliced andouille sausage. Cook until browned on both sides, and then add your garlic. Cook the garlic until fragrant but not burnt, about 2 minutes.
Pat your shrimp dry and coat generously in Cajun or blackening seasoning (this is the main flavor of the dish, so be liberal with it). Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let melt. Add your Cajun shrimp and cook until pink on both sides.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the green onions, tomato chunks, and chicken stock and simmer until shrimp are fully cooked (about 2 minutes for tiger prawns, but less for smaller shrimp).
Divide the grits between the four bowls, and add the shrimp mixture on top. Pour the pan sauce and add extra scallions on top for garnish. Enjoy!
As for the apple crisp, I used this recipe and it turned out pretty good. I did add about 1/4 cup of oats and a little less flour to the crumble recipe, since I like my apple crisp a bit heartier. I did the apples chunk-style instead of slices, and baked it for about 20 minutes. It was a tasty end to a fabulous southern meal! Here was the final product:
Matt & Sarah 