BBQ Low Country Shrimp and Cheddar Jalapeno Grits with Peaches
Low Country cuisine usually is reserved for South Carolina and
Georgia coastal cuisines. The landscape was particular for its inhospitable
geography with clogged estuaries and deadly swamps, and if it wasn’t for the African
slaves brought from Western Africa, the land would still be untamed. With their
arrival in the region, swamps were turned into rice fields and every piece and
morsel of animal, amphibian, and fish were scienced until they became the delectable
details of a very particular American cuisine. Now, low country cuisine lives
on from the Gullah peoples and others in the region who broke ground and
created something great out of virtually nothing.
Hats off and forever props to them!
My recipe came from an eating experience at Tautog’s
Restaurant in Virginia Beach. Unlike many of the establishments in VaBeach, this
place is slightly off the tourist map and is a major local hangout. Lucky for
me, I have been to VaBeach so many times that I get invited to many a dinner
when I’m there, usually at Tautogs. When I had their version of low country
shrimp and grits with BBQ sauce and peaches, I knew this was something I could
remake.
And remake it I did with 1000% success on the first try.
I’ve since made it about a dozen times tweaking it here and
there. Like most southern recipes, it’s not about physical measurement, but
about the eyeball and the taste test. I’ll provide the recipe, but use your own
judgement. This recipe is hard to mess up, but if you do mess it up, do it
spectacularly.
Here’s my recipe.
BBQ Low Country Shrimp and Cheddar Jalapeno Grits with Peaches
Author:
Living Dangerously
Duration:
50 minutes
Average
Cost PP: $7.00 US
Serves:
4
Ingredients:
Olive
oil
Salt
12
Medium Shrimp (raw)
2 Cups
Bob’s Red Mill Grits
1 cup
shredded cheddar
Bunch
green onions
5
Ounces favorite BBQ Sauce (10 tbs)
2
fresh peaches (or can of peaches if not in season) Cut into slices.
2
pieces cooked and diced bacon, prosciutto, or Spanish Chorizo (Optional)
4 pickled
jalapeno slices and 3 tablespoons of juice (optional)
Directions:
Shell shrimp and devein. Place shells in two cups of water and
simmer for 30 minutes to create a stock. Do not add Old Bay seasoning, but do
add salt to taste.
Chop green onions, separating white pieces from green pieces.
Once shrimp stock is cooked, remove shells, add water as needed
for directions and begin cooking grits. Stir several times a minute to ensure
that the grits will become creamy. Add butter if necessary, but the BBQ sauce
might make it unnecessary. Still, butter is a food group so do what you feel is
right.
On ridged grill pan or on grill, (I prefer a grill pan on the
stove so I can see everything at once) cook peaches until wilted and char marks
on both sides. Set aside. If using canned peaches, reserve some of the juice and add to the BBQ sauce.
Butterfly shrimp and begin cooking in pan with olive oil over low
heat. When half cooked, turn over and add peaches, white parts of onions, and BBQ
sauce. Continue cooking on low. The BBQ sauce should begin to caramelize.
When grits are almost done by directions, add cheddar cheese and
stir frequently. Add optional jalapeno juice now if desired. Ensure that there
is enough liquid for the grits to create the requisite delicate texture.
Once grits are finished, serve into four bowls. Add 4 pieces of
shrimp per bowl along with an equal amount of peaches, and white parts of
cooked onions and BBQ sauce.
Serve each dish with a handful of chives (green parts of green
onions), a single pickled jalapeno on top, and optional diced pork products.
When eating, after photographing, Facebooking, Instagramming, and Tweeting,
dig fork through the middle to combine all ingredients for each taste.
I’ve had this with and without the pork. I honestly like it without
the pork, only because chorizo and other products can so overwhelm the relative
delicate taste of the shrimp. The best flavor is when the shrimp is the king,
with everything else as an accompaniment.
