How To Make Spicy Shrimp and Andouille Over Charleston-Style Grits

Spicy Shrimp and Andouille Over Charleston-Style Grits  Southern Recipes

Some foods scream Southern US Cuisine and Charleston-style grits are one of them. Add in some delicious shrimp, andouille sausage, and great seasoning and you are on to a winner. Spicy Shrimp and Andouille Over Charleston-Style Grits is a recipe that sounds complicated – and you would be right.

There are three main elements to this dish, and they each require time and care. When the three are perfected, the combination is sure to become one of your family’s favorite southern recipes. This guide will break down those three elements with all the key ingredients and steps.

Part 1: making the Charleston-style grits

First, you need some Charleston-style grits to serve this wonder of southern recipes over. This part of the recipe is not as complicated as the shrimp mixture. All you need are the following:

 6 cups of water
Salt to taste
1 1/2 cups quick cooking grits
2 cups of milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

The Very first thing to note here is that the recipe calls for quick cooking grits that aren’t instant. Instant may be OK for newcomers that aren’t used to southern US cuisine, but the real thing is better. Starting with the boiling of water. Add a teaspoon and salt and your grits and give it a stir.

The grits will start to thicken with the water. When they do, add the milk, cream, and butter and continue to boil the mixture. This mixture takes around 45 minutes to cook. This is why is it best to start with the grits before moving onto the shrimp mixture. If you do mess up your timings, the grits can be covered to keep warm until the shrimp mixture is ready. You will know when the Grits are done when they are smooth and creamy.

Part 2: preparing the shrimp

This recipe calls for 2 pounds of medium shrimp. They need to be peeled, cleaned and deveined before cooking and seasoning with a special essence. It is this essence that gives the shrimp a punch. The ingredients for the essence are as follows:

 2.5 tablespoons paprika
Two tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
One tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
Single tablespoon cayenne pepper
tablespoon 1 dried leaf oregano
Tablespoon dried thyme 1

This is a lot of ingredients and flavors, but it all works to enhance the shrimp and enhance the tastes of southern US cuisine. Simply combine all of the ingredients together into one big seasoning mix and add it to the shrimp before cooking. Some of the essences need to be left aside for later on.

These measurements should create around 2/3 cup. Any excess can be stored in an airtight container for later southern recipes. Once the shrimp have been seasoned. You need to cook them for 3 minutes over medium heat. This is also the time to cook the sausage (same temperature and length of time) and work on the rest of the shrimp mixture.

Part 3: Cooking The Shrimp And Sausage Mixture

The shrimp main dish is one of the great southern recipes and requires the following.:

 8 ounces andouille sausage
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup Properly cut red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced parsley

This mixture is full of key ingredients that scream southern US cuisine. There is the richness of the cream and broth but also the flavor of the pepper, onion, and garlic. Place the cooked shrimp and sausage to one side and start on the sauce. Soften the onion and bell peppers for about 3 minutes.

Then you need to add garlic and some more of the essence for extra flavor. The chicken broth comes next and simply needs to be reduced for around 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, green onion and parsley to add more color and thicken it up. The meat can then be added back in and the sauce left to simmer until reduced.

The final touches to the sauce are the penultimate part of the dish. Now you need to put it all together and present it on your diners. Serve the meat and seafood on top of your pre-made grits and garnish as you like. Now you are ready to wow your family and friends with another of the great southern recipes.