Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Over Creamy Stone-Ground Grits
Ingredients
- 1 cupstone-ground cornmeal
- 4 cupsvegetable or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoonsbutter
- ½ cupsharp cheddar cheese
- ·salt
- ·black pepper
- 1¼ poundsshrimp (large, peeled and deveined)
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 1½lemon
- 3 tablespoonsolive oil
- ½ cupdry white wine
- 2 cupsfresh spinach
- 2 tablespoonsfresh dill
Prep
- 01
Peel and devein 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp if not already done.
- 02
Mince 4 cloves garlic.
- 03
Juice 1 1/2 lemons and measure 1/2 cup dry white wine.
- 04
Roughly chop 2 cups fresh spinach and chop 2 tablespoons fresh dill.
Method
- 01
Bring 4 cups broth to a boil in a large pot. Whisk in 1 cup cornmeal slowly to avoid lumps, stirring constantly.
- 02
Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often, until grits are creamy and thick. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm on low heat.
- 03
While grits cook, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes per side until just opaque. Transfer to a plate.
- 04
In the same skillet, add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 1/2 cup wine and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer 1 minute.
- 05
Return shrimp to the skillet. Add 2 cups spinach and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. Toss until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons fresh dill. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 06
Divide warm grits among shallow bowls. Top with shrimp and pan sauce. Serve immediately.
Stone-ground cornmeal makes a richer, more textured grits than instant. If you can't find it, standard cornmeal works fine — reduce simmer time to 15 minutes. Substitute sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio for the wine.