Shrimp & “Grits”

Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking

  

Ingredients

Shrimp

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, reserving the shells
  
• 2 ½ cups water
  
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
  
• 1 carrot, chopped
  
• ½ medium onion, chopped
  
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion, minced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
  
• 1 (14 ½ ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juices
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• ½ cup chicken broth
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
  
• ¼ cup almond milk
  

"Grits"

• 2 cups water
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 cup quinoa
  
• ¾ cup chicken broth
  
• 1 ½ cups almond milk
  

Directions

1. Make the shrimp stock: Place the reserved shrimp shells, chopped celery, carrots, chopped onion, crushed garlic, and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for at least one hour. Strain through cheesecloth and reserve broth. The broth should yield about 1 ¼ cups of liquid.
   
2. Make the grits: Bring water, oil, and salt to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed by the quinoa. Add the chicken broth and simmer about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the almond milk, pouring in ½ cup at a time. Simmer the grits with the almond milk about an hour or until grits are thick and creamy, but not runny.
   
3. Make the shrimp: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes, sprinkling with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour and cook about a minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved shrimp stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil to thicken and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, or until grits are done cooking. Just before serving add the shrimp. Cook for about 3 minutes. Whisk in ¼ cup of almond milk and simmer until heated through. Serve the shrimp over a bed of grits. Serves 5.

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