Shrimp and Grits
Celebrate your own version of Independence Day with this smoky, tantalising taste of America’s deep south, perfect for a steamy summer evening.
If you can’t get your hands on grits, quick-cook polenta makes an excellent substitute. Meanwhile, Cajun seasoning – typically a heady blend of paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic and onion powder and cayenne and black peppers – is readily available in all big supermarkets.
Ingredients (serves 4)
100g smoked bacon lardons
400g large raw prawns, peeled, deveined and thawed if frozen
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 tbsp butter
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 large green pepper, deseeded and diced
1 large green pepper, deseeded and diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
3 tbsp plain flour
450ml chicken stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, to taste
For the grits:
250g quick-cook grits or polenta
Method
Drizzle the prawns with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, muddle together and set to one side.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and a drizzle of vegetable oil and sauté for around 6-7 minutes or until crisp, and the fat has rendered out of the lardons. Remove the lardons from the pan with a slotted spoon and set to one side in a large bowl.
Increase the heat under the pan, add the prawns and sauté for around 2 minutes or until the prawns are mostly pink but not quite cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add them to the lardons while you prepare the sauce.
Melt the butter in the frying pan. Add the celery, pepper, spring onions (reserving a handful for serving) and remaining 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning and sauté, stirring occasionally, for around 4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened, adding the garlic for the last minute or so.
Sprinkle the flour into the mixture and continue to cook, stirring continuously, for around 1 minute before adding the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and tabasco to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer (uncovered, and stirring occasionally) for around 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cook the grits or polenta according to the instructions on the packet and keep warm.
Add the bacon lardons, prawns and any juices that have collected in the bowl to the sauce. Stir well and simmer, stirring continuously, until the prawns are completely cooked through.
Season to taste and serve on top of the warm grits/polenta sprinkled with the reserved spring onions, a couple of splashes of tabasco and, perhaps, cornbread on the side.
