seafood

Creamy Garlic and Tomato Shrimp and Fontina Grits

September 1, 2018 Leave a Comment

Not too many people breathing free oxygen dislike shrimp and grits. If there’s anyone out there who doesn’t love this southern classic (for reasons other than allergies, and even then, I’m still skeptical), I want nothing to do with them. Shrimp and grits just go so well together. I’m not a fan of bland grits, or bland anything — so both components need to be good AF. If you’ve made anything of mine in the past, you know I’m big on flavor. The control is yours, though. I encourage everyone to TASTE AS YOU GO! You should never just follow a recipe and wait to taste it at the very end. No, that’s not how you cook. Hook it up to your liking.

I cook a lot. Almost every day…on Instagram. I had no intention of sharing this recipe, just with those who may happen to catch it on Instagram. But after talking to my boyfriend, we decided it’s time I start transferring those recipes to my blog. Today I whipped up some shrimp and grits. To be more specific: creamy, garlicky, tomato-based sauce with poached jumbo shrimp and poured that sexy stuff all over some insanely well-seasoned, super creamy fontina grits. Whew!! The only thing you’ll need after you eat this, is a nap.

My IG stories are like a little mini-vault of culinary joys and free knowledge. I’ve decided to start posting some of those videos here. Especially the meals that make it to my IG page. I’ll still utilize my IG Highlights for meals that don’t make it here. Now, I must warn you, I film my IG stories very candidly — there may or may not be some mild adult language. Anyway, let’s get into this recipe. I made this on a whim and did not write anything down, just whipped it up. I cook from the heart, as you will see in future videos. For this recipe, I’m gonna provide you guys with “starting-point-measurements”, because I think it’s important to learn your own palate by seasoning and tasting as you go. That’s one of the main ways I’ve learned how to cook, so that’s your homework. Trust me when I say, you’re going to love this super easy, super quick and hella flavorful shrimp and grits recipe.

Get the recipe

Watch the IG Story Clip

This recipe is super flavorful, and you won’t believe how fast it comes together. It tastes as if you’d been simmering it all day long, but I whipped it up in 10 minutes. You’d be a fool not to try this one.

Also, I kinda do this shrimp and grits thing quite well. Be sure to check out my other variations of it! Also, make sure you follow me on IG. I mostly share photos and videos of my food, my baby boy, products I love, and myself.

Creamy Garlic and Tomato Shrimp and Fontina Grits

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the shrimp

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon herbes de provence
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sweet red pepper, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
⅔ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined SEE NOTE BELOW
3 sprigs fresh thyme
fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the grits

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or water
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup coarse grits, or quick-grits (SEE NOTE BELOW)
pinch of baking powder (SEE NOTE BELOW)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon herbes de provence
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
cayenne pepper, to taste
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
⅓ cup shredded fontina cheese (can use cheddar)

Instructions

For the grits

In a medium-sized pot, bring the broth (or water, if using), heavy cream, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, herbes de provence, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, pinch of salt (you'll add more later), and olive oil to a boil over high heat. If using coarse grits, add a super tiny pinch of baking powder. If using quick-grits, don't add the baking powder. Whisk until combined, and immediately add the grits. Reduce heat to low, and whisk for 1 full minute. Cover and allow them to cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and tender -- about 10-15 minutes. If your grits need another tiny splash of cream, add it. Taste them and adjust the salt levels to your liking. Add a little more seasoning if needed. Once they're perfect, turn the heat off and stir in the cheese. Cover and set aside.

For the shrimp:

Meanwhile, in a medium-skillet, melt the butter over medium-heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, and herbes de provence. When the butter is hot and foamy, but not browning at all, add the diced sweet red pepper and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, and add the olive oil. Add the tomato paste, and cook until it deepens in color just slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape any bits that might have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Allow the broth to reduce for about 30 seconds, then pour in the heavy cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. If the mixture is getting too thick (and it shouldn't be thick at all), add more broth to thin it out. Taste and adjust seasoning as you see fit. Once it's perfect, reduce the heat to low and add the raw shrimp. Allow the shrimp to poach until it's pink and fully cooked, which will depend on the size shrimp you use. Once the shrimp turns pink on all sides, turn off the heat. Freshen it up with lemon juice. Plate your creamy grits and pour the shrimp mixture on top. Garnish with fresh thyme, fresh basil, and maybe another squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Notes

If using smaller shrimp, adjust poaching time accordingly.

Baking powder helps soften the outer husk of the coarse grits/polenta (which are usually yellow), which helps it cook a LOT faster. If using quick-grits (they're usually white), you won't need to add the baking powder.

Seared Skinless Cod with Beer & Sweet Onion Sauce

September 24, 2016 2 Comments

Cod has always been one of my favorite proteins from the sea since I was a kid. I remember taking family trips to a now-extinct restaurant called Chesapeake Bay Seafood House, and they served this INSANELY good fried lemon-pepper cod. I got it every single dang time we went. I can literally still taste it and it’s been well over 15 years since the last time I took a bite there. I’m sad thinking about it now. They even had amazing hush puppies. Man, this is restaurant heartbreak I’m going thru at this present moment. I could cry. I have never been more sad about a restaurant closing, ever. Somebody hold me.

Anyway, I still love cod prepared just about any way. Beer-battered, seared, baked, roasted, broiled, oven-fried, it doesn’t even matter. Cod is flaky, light, firm, and tender all at the same time. It’s a great versatile fish that everyone should embrace into their homes and tummies. For this recipe, I took a whole skinless filet and cut it into four pieces, but if you can get your fishmonger to give you skin-on, and/or have him cut it for you, that would be even better. I’m resourceful though, so I worked with what I had on hand. This is a good thing though, because I can show you how to sear cod that doesn’t have it’s delicious skin attached. Because it’s a moderately lean fish (not as fatty as salmon), we have to give it plenty of good healthy fat to sear in, and let the natural sugars caramelize the surface so we get a nice color.

If you use a non-stick pan, that would be great! I used my All-Clad skillet for this, which was what I grabbed first. If you use a stainless steel skillet, PLEASE use a fish spatula to flip this — otherwise you can seriously tear up your fish. It will still be edible, but it won’t be as pretty. As with any sear, make sure you allow the protein to actually develop color before trying to flip it over.

Rule of thumb: if you try to flip it, and it’s completely stuck, that means it’s not ready to be flipped! Flipping should be a moderately easy process. Even with a skinless filet of cod, you’ll meet a slight resistance, but it shouldn’t be TOTALLY stuck, okay? So be careful flipping it, I cannot stress this enough. I will leave a note at the bottom of the recipe to help you better fool-proof this whole searing process. Basically, if you’re nervous or don’t have proper cookware/tools, lightly dust both sides with a tiny bit of either flour, rice flour, or corn starch. That’ll help you out if you’re super nervous about doing a naked sear. Also, if you don’t have an immersion blender (make sure you get one btw), just puree the beer & sweet onion butter sauce in a blender or food processor.

meet the cast. the fish will make it’s debut later, because fashionably late.

i suggest every home cook have a jar of these delicious umami-bombs aka anchovy filets. trust me. they are amazing. you can leave these out if you absolutely cannot find them…but i highly suggest you find them.

grab as much garlic as you would like.

then chop it up like so.

chop a large sweet onion in half, or use a small one. if using a large, wrap it up tightly with plastic and save for another use.

chop the onion like so, a small dice.

melt about 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

once the butter starts t melt, add the onion.

make sure all of the onion is coated in the butter. now we’re gonna season it up.

first, add a good pinch of sea salt.

some crushed red pepper flakes…

some lemon pepper, or regular pepper.

and my absolutely favorite herb mix of all time – herbes de provence.

this is about how much i added, no measuring, just eyeballing.

toss everything around until its coated.

add a few drops of olive oil, not too much, just a tablespoon or so.

add a good pinch of sugar.

let the onions soften and become translucent. this takes about 5 to 8 minutes.

once the onions are softened (but not mushy), add the garlic.

cook the garlic for about 30 seconds to take off their edge.

thennnn, carefully add some beer. the whole bottle. don’t be chicken.

let the foaming subside.

it’s nice and settled, stir it up a little.

and bring it to a boil.

chop up about 3 small anchovy filets, really finely until they’re like a paste.

like this.

toss them in the beer mix.

continue to let this simmer and reduce for about 10-15 minutes over medium heat. keep an eye on it, it could go faster or it could take longer.

but what you’re looking for is something like this.

turn the heat off. now i’m gonna puree it with my stick blender. but i’ll have to tilt the pot because you see those holes? the sauce will fly out if i press “on”. you want to always make sure those holes are submersed in whatever you’re pureeing. it will be a huge mess otherwise.

see how the holes are submersed now? thats because i’m tilting the pot. blend the mixture until smooth.

chop up about 1 tablespoon of capers.

like so.

toss them in.

throw in some fresh herb. i’m using parsley. dill or tarragon would be okay here too.

melt about 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter into the sauce.

with the zest of half a lemon, and a few squirts of fresh lemon juice. now, onto the fish.

i’m using this red hawaiian sea salt on my cod, but you can use any salt you have on hand. i seasoned the fish with this, and lemon pepper.

meanwhile, get your skillet searing hot. you’ll know its hot enough when you sprinkle water in it and it beads up and runs around like a headless chicken.

pour in some oil, just enough to thinly coat the bottom.

gently place each piece of fish down, making sure there’s enough oil underneath every piece so it doesn’t stick too badly.

season the other side of the fish while it cooks.

if using a stainless steel skillet, PLEASE USE A FISH SPATULA!

do NOT flip this fish over until it’s ready. be careful, it will be flaky and tender and some parts will tear no matter how careful you are, but the goal is to prevent tearing this fish up to smithereens.

beautiful.

reduce the heat to medium, and don’t scrape up what’s left from the fish, leave it in there. maybe add another tablespoon or so of oil if needed, but start to pile the spinach into the pan.

it’s always a huge mountain but as you know, this will cook down to damn near nothing.

season it up with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes, or whatever you’d like.

start to gently flip the spinach around and at this point, turn off the heat. the residual heat will continue to cook and wilt the spinach down.

you don’t have to do this part, but if you don’t want it too wet, you can drain off some of the liquid from the spinach. i dumped about half of what you see here.

add some butter, about a tablespoon.

microwave some rice, any kind you’d like. i love these little 90-sec pouches, they come in handy for SO many things.

once you zap it for 90 seconds, add it to the spinach.

toss everything around until it’s evenly combined.

add the other half of the lemon zest.

mix it all up, plate, and serve.

beautiful right? i know!

serve this baby up with some sliced lemons, and maybe a very light drizzle of olive oil.

close-up shot, that beer sauce is amazing on this fish.

This recipe will work for skinless cod in a non-stick skillet even better. There is a smaller chance of it sticking and tearing up on you, but if all you have is stainless steel, then you should follow my instructions as best as you can. Please read the note below the recipe if you choose to use a non-stick skillet, or are terrified of your fish potentially sticking due to lack of experience — which is all good, we have to start from somewhere.

Seared Skinless Cod with Beer & Sweet Onion Butter Sauce

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

Serving size will depend on how much of everything you prepare.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 4 or more servings

Ingredients

For the Beer & Sweet Onion Sauce

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup sweet onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
lemon-pepper, or black pepper, to taste
herbes de provence, to taste
pinch of sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 bottle Corona beer (or any light colored beer)
3 small anchovy filets, finely chopped into a paste
1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped (dill and/or tarragon will also work)
zest of half a lemon, plus 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice, to taste
*2 tbsp unsalted butter, to finish

For the fish (see note below)

Cod filets (skinless or skin-on)
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
oil for searing

For the Spinach, Rice and Quinoa

1 large container organic baby spinach
salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste
1 package of 90-sec rice & quinoa (use any brand or version of this you'd like)
oil and butter as needed
zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice, optional

Instructions

**Read the captions under each photo for detailed instructions**

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, pepper, herbes de provence, crushed red pepper and sugar. Stir to combine. If needed, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onions until softened and translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beer, carefully! Stir to combine. Bring the beer to a simmer, and allow it to reduce for about 8-10 minutes. Once it's reduced by half, give it a taste and adjust if need be. Turn off the heat and puree the mixture until smooth, by way of immersion blender, food processor, or blender. Don't strain it. Add the capers, fresh herb, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Finally, stir in the cold butter until emulsified and melted thru. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until searing hot. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Test skillet's level of heat with a few drops of water. If water dances around the skillet, it's ready. Add some oil, just enough to cover the bottom very thinly, you can always add more as you're cooking. Oil should start to smoke (not terribly, just wisps), then immediately add the fish, making sure there's enough oil under each piece to prevent sticking. The should not be too much oil in the pan, we're not deep-frying it, just giving it plenty of fat since it lacks its own. Make sure you swirl the pan around so that the oil gets around each side of the fish. If the pan is too dry, the fish will stick terribly. If using a non-stick skillet, a lot of these potential problems won't be an issue. Leave the fish to sear until it releases somewhat easily from the pan. Depending on the size of your filets, the type of skillet, and the amount of oil used, this can take anywhere between 4 and 7 minutes. Once you're able to flip the fish over, sear until the fish is cooked through. You can tell when it starts to flake and is opaque all the way thru. Set fish aside on a plate and keep warm under foil until ready to eat.
With whatever is left in the pan from the fish, add a little more oil if necessary and begin to sauté the spinach over medium heat. Season it up to your liking. When the very bottom layer is wilted, you can turn the heat off. The residual heat will continue to cook and wilt the spinach down. If you have an excess amount of spinach juice, you can drain some of it off, or keep it -- it's up to you. Add a little butter and toss through. Microwave your 90-sec pouch of rice & quinoa mix, then add it to the sautéed spinach. Gently mix until evenly combined, then add the zest of the lemon and some lemon juice if you'd like.
Plate everything and serve immediately.

Notes

If you are absolutely terrified of your skinless fish sticking, etc. You can very lightly dust your cod with either a teaspoon of all-purpose flour, rice flour, or corn starch. This will create a protective outer crust that will help it release better from your skillet. If using a non-stick skillet, do not use a metal spatula on it because you can ruin it.

Lemony Buttermilk Fried Tiger Shrimp

September 21, 2016 Leave a Comment

My heart breaks for folks who have seafood allergies. No, seriously. I am saddened for you guys. If you could measure seafood allergies by percentage, I myself am 5% allergic. I can eat fish, shellfish, mollusks, etc. The only thing that irritates me is the shell from shellfish itself. Like, if I were to eat a crab cake that wasn’t properly discarded of shells, my throat will start to itch a little. Soft-shell crab? Forget it! I didn’t even know I was allergic until I ate one single piece of sushi with soft-shell crab, and about 10 minutes later, my throat started to close up. I was devastated, went to the hospital, it was a mess. I didn’t look like Hitch, and I was able to breathe (thank god), but it was still tighter than usual and I didn’t want to wait until I was completely unable to breathe to go see a doctor. So, again, I truly feel bad for folks who cannot enjoy the wonderful flavors of seafood at all.

But for those of you who can? YAAAAS! I have a great recipe for you that is perfect for snacking, game day, parties — whatever. I love shrimp all kinds of ways, but a classic fry is always a go-to. Instead of just battering up some shrimp and dunking it into the fryer, I wanted to inject the tiger shrimp with as much flavor as I possibly could. I’m working with large tiger shrimp here, but you can use any kind of shrimp, any size.

The buttermilk helps soften the shrimp a little, imparting flavor and tang. The lemon (so much lemon) is obviously going to make it, well, lemony. I love lemon, it’s one of my staples in cooking, goes so well with everything. I wanted this fried shrimp recipe to have good lemon flavor without being too lemony, if that makes sense. It’s lemony but it’s not LEMONY. When you’re marinating seafood, you’ve gotta be careful. It’s such a delicate protein, and unlike chicken, beef, or pork, it really doesn’t need to marinate for hours. Large shrimp? 1 hour. Medium or Small shrimp? Half hour. For this recipe, I encourage you to season your shrimp however you’d like. Just use lots of lemon zest, the juice of one lemon, and some buttermilk. We get an amazing crust by battering it with a mix of all-purpose flour and crunchy panko breadcrumbs. The shards of panko really offer these crispy valley’s and crevices once fried, that sound amazing as you bite down and hear nothing but CHHHRKRKRK (that was a sad attempt at a phonetic spelling of a crunchy sound, don’t judge me). As usual, I didn’t measure anything here except for the flour/panko mixture, so I will try my best to give you measurements as a starting off point.

TOOLS USED:

Candy thermometer
http://amzn.to/2dg8HSW

Dutch Oven
http://amzn.to/2cthPF4

Spider (strainer)
http://amzn.to/2daclBT

Glass bowls
http://amzn.to/2cTKEI8

Stainless steel bowls
http://amzn.to/2cCiFx5

Silicone tongs
http://amzn.to/2cPGvs6

Baking sheet
http://amzn.to/2cGK1Uy

Check out the video tutorial to see how it’s all done!

Lemony Buttermilk Fried Tiger Shrimp

Save Print

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

1 hour 3 mins

Author: Chef Resha

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1½lb large wild tiger shrimp, peeled and de-veined (any wild shrimp will work)

Lemon-Buttermilk Brine

1 tbsp kosher salt (if using table salt, use ½ tbsp)
1 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup buttermilk
zest & juice of 1 lemon

Panko-Flour Mixture

8oz. all-purpose flour
2oz. panko breadcrumbs
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp granulated onion
2 tsp dried cilantro (parsley or basil will also work)
*1/4 cup buttermilk for dredging
oil for frying (I used peanut, but canola or vegetable will work fine)

Instructions

Combine shrimp, all seasonings, zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and buttermilk in a bowl until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour, NO LONGER!
Meanwhile, flour, panko, seasonings, lemon zest in a separate bowl. Pour ¼ cup of buttermilk into a tiny bowl.
After at least 30 minutes, take your shrimp out of the refrigerator. Pour and drain off all of the marinade. Leftover bits of the zest will remain, and that's fine. You just want to remove the brine liquid. Rinse if necessary. Dip each shrimp into the plain buttermilk, then into the flour/panko mixture, packing it on well. Place each shrimp on a baking sheet or plate, then place in the refrigerator or freezer for 20 minutes to allow the coating to set up so that it doesn't fall apart in the fryer later.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a pot to 375 degrees. Remove shrimp from fridge/freezer. Fry a few shrimp at a time for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a wired rack of paper towels.
Serve immediately.

Notes

If using smaller shrimp than large, only marinate for 30 minutes. Cook time will be faster than noted above.

Chinese BBQ Shrimp and Grits

October 18, 2013 18 Comments

My goodness. Just look at this. Makes absolutely no sense. I’m sure you’re ready to kick your standard shrimp and grits recipe up a few notches, right? This isn’t a bad way to start. This was really good, and if I recall, we immediately snuggled up afterward and took an epic nap. It was raining outside, so this was the perfect bowl of warmth and love, but with flair.

Shrimp and grits are one of my favorite pairings, ever. I will put just about anything over some creamy grits — they’re that versatile and I’m that committed. One morning I decided to try different flavors for my shrimp and grits, and I’m happy to report that I pulled it off. I used what I had in the house, but you know what would really make this dish extra bomb? If you used spicy pork sausage instead of bacon. Holy balls, I will absolutely do this next time.

I used jarred Chinese BBQ sauce (yes, I use shortcuts from time to time). What brand did I use? I honestly couldn’t tell you. It literally just said “Chinese BBQ Sauce” on it, and it was on a yellow sticker with some pretty cool Asian art. I really don’t think it matters what brand you use. Just pick something up that sounds like it would taste good over your bowl of creamy grits and juicy, sweet shrimp. You could always make your own sauce, which I’m sure would be even more amazing. The sauce I used had flavors of 5-spice, hoisin, and some other yummy going’s-on’s. The creamy grits held the juicy shrimp up just right. I used a tiny bit of cream cheese just for added creaminess and a very mild tang. You can totally leave it out.

Yeah, I did that. I left the tails on just for photo purposes, so you’d know they’re shrimp lol. I would normally just take them off because I love to stuff a spoonful of grits and shrimp in my mouth at once without having to hold the end of the shrimp to prevent myself from eating the tail. That was a really, really long sentence. Anyway, you’ve gotta try this. If you’re into ethnic flavors with a touch of southern soul, treat yourself to this recipe — on me 😉

Chinese BBQ Shrimp and Grits

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

Author: CarnalDish

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

Chinese BBQ shrimp:

14-18 extra large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
4-6 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped (you could use spicy pork sausage instead)
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
sea salt and white pepper, to taste
1 tbsp rice flour, for very light dredging
splash of rice vinegar, for deglazing
*low-sodium chicken broth or water, plus more if needed (see note)
*brown sugar, to taste (see note)
jar of Chinese BBQ sauce (any brand)
toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish
2 chopped scallions, for garnish
canola oil

Creamy Grits:

1 cup water
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp heavy cream
super tiny pinch of baking powder (less than ⅛ tsp)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of paprika
pinch of granulated garlic
½ cup stone-ground grits
1-2 tbsp softened cream cheese (optional)
2 to 3 tbsp butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
squirt of freshly-squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

For the Chinese BBQ shrimp:

In a medium-sized bowl, season the peeled and and de-veined shrimp with sea salt and white pepper. Sprinkle the rice flour over the shrimp and toss with a spoon until each shrimp is evenly yet lightly coated. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp on one side (about 5-7 minutes). Add about 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to the pan. Add the shallot and red pepper flake, and cook in the canola oil and bacon fat drippings until the shallots are softened and bacon is fully crisp. At the very last minute, add the minced garlic and cook for just 30-seconds. Remove the bacon, shallot and garlic from the pan so that there's just left-over bacon fat and canola oil left in the pan. Pour the hot bacon fat into a safe glass container, reserving 2 tablespoons. Bring the 2 tablespoons of bacon fat back to the hot pan. Place the lightly dredged shrimp into the pan and lightly-fry in the bacon fat for exactly 1-minute on each side. Remove the shrimp from the pan, place on a plate or in a bowl and set aside.
Bring the skillet back to the stove and de-glaze with the rice vinegar, scraping up any bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add a desired amount of Chinese BBQ sauce to the skilllet (I used about ⅔ cup, just eyeball how much you want). If your sauce is really thick, thin it out a little with low-sodium chicken stock or water (add a little at a time until you've reached desired consistency). Add the bacon, shallot and garlic to the sauce and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and season if needed. Add 1-teaspoon of brown sugar for a little sweetness if you find the sauce to taste harsh. When it tastes just right to you, add the shrimp and continue to cook for just 2-3 minutes longer. Don't cook it longer than this or you'll have rubbery shrimp and that's not a good look.
Remove from heat and serve immediately over the creamy grits.

For the creamy grits:

In a small saucepan, bring the water, chicken stock, and seasonings (except salt) to a boil. Add the baking powder.
Add the grits and immediately bring the heat down to low, while stirring frequently to avoid the mixture from clumping together. Keep stirring until the simmer settles a bit (about 1 minute), then cover. Allow the polenta to cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the heavy cream and allow to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Taste the grits to see where they are. If they need a few more minutes to cook, check every 3 minutes until desired tenderness is reached. Season with salt and pepper as necessary. Once they're finally to your liking, turn off the heat and add the cream cheese, if using. Add butter and taste. Adjust seasoning if need be. The consistency should be thick but creamy and smooth -- not too runny or wet, and not too clumpy.
Serve the grits in a bowl and top with the shrimp. Garnish with chopped scallion, toasted sesame seeds, and a squirt of freshly squeezed juice for acidity if you'd like. Enjoy!

Notes

**You may find that your jar of Chinese BBQ sauce is on the thick side, depending on the brand. Use the chicken stock or water to thin it out to your desired consistency.

**If you find your Chinese BBQ sauce to need a tiny bit of sweetness, add about a teaspoon of brown sugar to the sauce. Adjust it to suit your needs.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Mango Salsa

October 31, 2011 2 Comments

I don’t understand my taco addiction, and I don’t dare try to. I just accept it and roll with it. For those who are unaware, my taco addiction is pretty outta hand. I will put anything — ANYTHING in a taco. However, I’ll spare you the weird concoctions for now, and just bless you with some simple and delicious taco recipes that you can replicate in your own kitchen.

I rarely buy the expensive shrimp, but I wanted to spoil myself this time around. I picked up a 16/21 pack of wild-caught jumbo shrimp, which basically just means there are 16 to 21 shrimp per pound. If you can, try to buy frozen shrimp at all times. The “fresh” shrimp you see at your local grocery store is thawed shrimp that were previously frozen, and now folks are handling it and it’s laying around so it’s just not as good. Besides, frozen shrimp — even with shells attached, only take about 20 minutes to defrost in a big bowl of cold water. Don’t try to speed up the thawing process by using warm or hot water to defrost them. No matter how frozen they are, using very cold water is still warm enough to thaw them safely.

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa

You don’t have to use the gigantic shrimp I’m using here, please feel free to buy the cheaper ones (I usually do), they’ll work just fine. Just make sure you peel and de-vein your shrimp, because the digestive tract is still attached at most times (even if they say they’ve been de-veined on the bag), and nobody wants to eat that. It’s literally the shrimps doo-doo tube — gross!

This recipe combines both unsweetened and sweetened coconut. I personally love coconut shrimp to be sliiightly sweet — I’m talkin super slight. If you like sweeter coconut shrimp, feel free to use more of the sweetened stuff — or, leave it out altogether, it’s up to you. I think the next time I make these, I’ll add some kind of spicy chili/horseradish sauce in addition to the pineapple salsa. Feel free to add anything you want to these tacos, this is just a starting point to something delicious 😉

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango salsa
Defrost your shrimp in cold water for about 20 minutes or so

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango salsa
Peel them, remove any digestive tract that might have been left over

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango salsa
To prevent the shrimp from curling up, turn the shrimp on its back, then make 2 small slits into the shrimp, about a half inch a part. Be careful not to go all the way thru the shrimp or they’ll fall apart.

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango salsa
Make the second slit…

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Unsweetened coconut, panko bread crumbs and ¼ cup sweetened coconut

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Coconut, bread crumbs and seasoning

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Meanwhile, vegetable oil is heating up over medium-high heat

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
First, the shrimp gets a dip in the egg wash

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Then it goes into the coconut and bread crumb mixture…really press the crumbs into the shrimp, but gently

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Let them sit for just a minute before you fry’em up…

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
To test the heat of the oil without a thermometer, drop a few of the bread crumbs into the oil…if they burn immediately, your oil is way too hot. Turn the heat down and test it again in about 5 minutes. If the crumbs don’t fizzle at all, your oil isn’t hot enough. You want the crumbs to return a gentle fizzle and start to gradually brown when it hits the oil, then you know it’s ready.

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Fry the shrimp in batches of 5, for about 2 to 4 minutes. The smaller the shrimp, the faster they’ll cook.

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Assemble your tacos and pile on the sweet and spicy pineapple and mango salsa

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Delicious

Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Mango Salsa

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Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
dash of paprika (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
oil for frying (peanut, canola, or vegetable)
Corn or flour tortillas
Pineapple & Mango salsa
any other taco toppings you'd like

Instructions

1. Heat your oil to 375˚ degrees. Place 2 small slits into each shrimp as illustrated above, to prevent your shrimp from curling up (optional).
2. Mix the coconut, panko and seasonings in a bowl
3. Place the beaten eggs into another bowl
4. Take each shrimp, dip it into the egg mixture to coat it completely, then allow any excess to drip off. Toss the egg covered shrimp into the coconut and breadcrumb mixture to coat. Press the mixture into the shrimp, gently so that it adheres. Set aside.
5. Once your oil has hit 375˚ degrees, fry up to 5 pieces at a time until golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle a little salt while the shrimp are still piping hot.
6. Assemble your tacos and top with yummy pineapple & mango salsa.
Enjoy!

Crunchy Shrimp & Salmon Tacos

September 1, 2011 6 Comments

If you don’t appreciate nor respect the taco, we can’t be friends. The taco is the greatest culinary invention ever. It’s the cousin of the sandwich. A “shell” that cradles your favorite ingredients, and is eaten with your hands. Everything tastes good in a taco — even spaghetti (I know…I know). Again, it’s the same concept as the sandwich, so you cannot go wrong here folks.

Shrimp & Salmon tacos

I love seafood, and I love tacos. So whoever was the first to put the two together, my hat’s off to you sir (or madame). These are very basic tacos, nothing complicated, but something you could totally customize and make your own. I like simple tacos, just as long as the flavors go well together. My favorite kind of taco is the crunchy taco. I love textures. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the soft taco too, I just prefer the crunchy little brother 😉

These tacos start with a shell that’s fried hard and filled with creamy chunks of avocado, juicy tomatoes, sharp red onion, cilantro, tender seasoned shrimp, and seasoned salmon…topped off with a spicy sour cream and a squirt of lime. Bomb. You don’t have to fry the shells like I did. You can buy the pre-fried shells in the box (which I do often, just remember to heat them up lol).

While these aren’t the most glamorous photos, they get the point across. I was in the middle of eating them when I started taking photos, so my apologies. They were just so good smh…

Shrimp & Salmon tacos

Goodness…

Shrimp & Salmon Tacos

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Tip: to easier cook the shrimp and help them maintain their shape, you could slide a bamboo skewer thru several pieces, then cook and easily flip. Not required, but helpful.

Serves: 6 tacos

Ingredients

6 fresh corn tortillas (or buy the ones in the box)
1 cup of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 filet of salmon
1 avocado, cut into chunks
2 roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, diced
1 handful of fresh cilantro, torn into bite-size pieces
1 lemon, sliced in half
1 lime, cut into wedges
olive oil
2 tbsp butter
Spicy Sour Cream (recipe below)
salt for seasoning the taco shells

Seasoning for the shrimp and salmon:

Lemon pepper
Cayenne pepper
Paprika
Cumin
Kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat your deep fryer to 375 degrees. I used canola oil.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
Sprinkle dash amounts of each seasoning onto your shrimp and salmon, on both sides respectively.
Place your seasoned salmon on the foil lined baking sheet and put the two tablespoons of butter on top. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes (depending on the thickness of your salmon) on the middle rack of your oven. When done, remove from oven and squirt with fresh lemon juice. Set aside.
To prepare your shrimp, heat a skillet to medium high. When hot, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil so that the shrimp don't stick. I used a bamboo skewer to stick thru my shrimp so that it could keep its shape and be easier to flip, but you don't have to do this. Place the shrimp into the pan and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, squirt with lemon juice and set aside.
Meanwhile, fry your tortillas in your deep fryer, one at a time. Use a metal spatula to hold firmly in the middle of the tortilla so that it creates a basic taco shape. These won't all come out perfect, but who cares, they'll still be good. Fry until golden brown (about 2 to 4 minutes), then drain on a paper towel. While they're still very hot and glistening from the oil, season each shell with a tiny bit of salt. The oil will help soak up the salt and adhere it to the shell.
Build your tacos and top with the spicy sour cream. You could put both shrimp and salmon in one taco, or you could just make salmon tacos alongside a shrimp taco or two. It's your party.
Serve with lime wedges.

Spicy Sour Cream

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Ingredients

¾ cup sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chili paste (like Sriracha)
dash of cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together and serve on top of your shrimp and salmon tacos.

Shrimp & Creamy Parmesan Grits

August 2, 2011 20 Comments

Oh my…

Yo…

This is just…

I can’t even…

Man, listen…

I made the most delicious bowl of shrimp & grits and cried unicorn tears. Straight up. I don’t think there’s a word in the English dictionary that can describe how insanely delicious and delectable this was. Not only was it stupid simple to make, but it was flavored to perfection. It just…oh my goodness. Who run the world? Grits.

I’m going to try my best to give measurements here. If you know me, you know that I don’t measure anything (except for when I’m baking) because I tend to cook with feeling and soul. Not to toot my own horn here, but I put my foot in this dish 😉 The flavors go so well together. The slight milky zing of the cheese, the buttery lemon sauce, the spice and heat?? It changed my life.

I bought a big bag of frozen de-veined shrimp to nibble on over the next few days/weeks or so, so I only made this for myself using a few pieces of shrimp. This is a recipe for one, but if you’re cooking for more than one person, just double it, or triple it — whichever. I also used a very tiny bit of Pan Searing Flour from Wegmans, which is just flour, malted barley flour and a few spices. If you don’t have this, you can use plain all-purpose flour. Rice flour would also be tasty.

Shrimp & Parmesan Grits

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

This recipe is for one, but you can easily double or even triple it. A helpful tip, season your shrimp first. Place seasoned shrimp in a small bowl and cover with a small plastic/ziploc bag full of ice to keep nice and cold while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Author: Resha from CarnalDish

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

For the shrimp:

6 to 8 regular sized shrimp, peeled and deveined and chilled
1 to 2 strips of bacon
about 1 tsp [pan searing flour|http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=359393&storeId=10052&langId=-1] (reg. flour will also work)
1 heaping tbsp shallot, chopped
1 heaping tbsp green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp butter
½ lemon, juiced
1 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried parsley
chili powder to taste
granulated garlic (or garlic powder) to taste
onion powder to taste
lemon pepper seasoning to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
Old Bay seasoning to taste
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the grits:

1 cup water
3 tbsp heavy cream
3 to 4 heaping tbsp quick grits (the 5 minute kind)
4 tbsp butter
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Dash of: granulated garlic (or garlic powder), cayenne pepper, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, lemon-pepper seasoning

Instructions

Preparing the grits

In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.
While water is heating up, add the salt, remaining seasoning and half (2 tbsp) of the butter.
Once water stars to boil, add your grits and immediately reduce heat to medium-low.
Stir to make sure grits aren't clumped together.
Allow grits to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, covered.
After 5 minutes, stir and reduce heat to low.
Grits will thicken quickly, but they still need a while to cook so that they aren't grainy.
Keep grits covered while cooking and stir every 3 to 5 minutes to check consistency.
After about 15 minutes of total cooking time, give them a taste and season accordingly if need be.
Add the heavy cream and remaining butter, and allow to cook an additional another 10 minutes over low heat.
Add the cheese, stir and remove from heat.
Keep the grits covered until ready to serve.

Preparing the shrimp:

Season your shrimp. I didn't measure the seasoning originally, so just eyeball this and use however much or little you'd like. When in doubt, use a little less than half of a teaspoon of each seasoning. Toss shrimp with flour and set aside.
In a medium skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Drain and set aside.
Pour the bacon grease out, but leave the tasty bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
Bring the skillet back to the stove.
Reduce the heat to medium. Drizzle a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil into the pan with 1 tbsp of the butter. Let that melt together, then add the chopped shallot. Allow that to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring around to prevent it from burning.
Shake off any residual flour from each piece of shrimp and add to the pan on it's side, allow shrimp to cook until pink on each side -- about 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat.
Flip shrimp to cook on other side. While it's cooking, add the green onion, the remaining tablespoon of butter and the lemon juice. Do not overcook the shrimp, they will come out tough and rubbery and ruin the dish.
A delicious buttery, lemony sauce has developed, and you're so excited right now.
Compose yourself, stir everything around and pour on top of your creamy parmesan grits. Aww yea, it's coming together!
Either chop or crumble up the slice of bacon, serve immediately, and enjoy you orgasm.

seafood

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