Shrimp and Andouille Sausage with Grits

I live on the coast and I am always surprised at how hard it is to find shrimp that is wild caught (we don't do farm-raised in this house).   The store I usually shop at is undergoing renovation so selection has been a bit off, but even the two other stores I shop at just had farm-raised stuff from either Indonesia or Thailand.  I was really in the mood for shrimp so I ended up at the really expensive fish market down by the bay.  I am talking expensive here, but when you are having a craving you just have to go there.

I've made shrimp and grits before but I have to say that this time the dish turned out spectacular; full of flavor and just this side of too spicy hot.  The difference was mostly in how I chopped the vegetables and the sausage (which I doubled).  I chopped everything really fine, but left the shrimp whole.  The fine chop ensured that there was plenty of flavor topping each piece of shrimp and mixed in with the grits.  I really liked how the chop changed things up and was really surprised that it could make such a difference.

Cajun Shrimp and Grits

6 servings

Grits:

• 7 cups water
• Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 cups grits
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Shrimp:

• 1 ½ pound uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (I used Bubba’s Swamp Seasoning)
• Salt to taste
• 12 ounces Andouille sausage, small dice
• 1 small yellow onion, small dice
• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeded, small dice
• 1 green bell pepper, stem and seeded, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• ¾ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 4 green onions, white and some green parts, chopped

Directions:

For the Grits:

1. In a large sauce pan heat the water to a boil, add salt and grits. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook grits until tender, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes.
2. Add cream, butter and pepper. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

For the Shrimp:

1. Season the shrimp with some of the Cajun seasoning, about 2 teaspoons, and the salt.  Toss to coat.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the Andouille sausage and saute for about 3 minutes until the Andouille has browned and released some of its fat.  Remove from pan to a bowl.
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat remaining in the pan.  Add the shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until just pink.  Remove from pan to the bowl with the sausage.
4. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan if needed and add onion and peppers.  Saute until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and the rest of the Cajun seasoning and saute for an additional 30 seconds.  Add the chicken broth and continue to cook for 5 or more minutes until broth has reduced by about half.
5. Add the cream, green onions, shrimp and sausage to the pan.  Simmer until the cream has thickened, about 3 minutes more.  The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Serve over grits.