Garlic Shrimp and Grits

There's something special about this dish, so simple and so darn good. The key is to not over cook the shrimp. The shrimp cooks in just a few minutes and when cooked properly will be tender and juicy. Secondly, you want the consistency of the grits to be like thick pancake batter. As the grits begin to cool on the plate they will thicken up.

Ingredients:

1 pound U15 shrimp, about 15 shrimp per pound

3 cloves crushed garlic

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup uncooked grits

1 cup water
2 cups low fat milk
1 tablespoon butter

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Chopped Italian parsley
 

Preparation:
Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp in cold water, lay on some paper towels to dry and then place in a medium glass bowl. Add the crushed garlic and olive oil and mix in with the shrimp and let marinate while you preparing the rest of the meal.
 

Take a medium large sauce pan and heat to medium high and add the water, milk, salt and grits. Cook the grits until somewhat firm, like corn bread batter. When cooked add 1 tablespoon butter and the parmesan cheese.

Take a large 12" sauté pan and heat to medium. The reason we're using a 12" sauté pan is because we just want one layer of shrimp across the bottom of the pan for even cooking. Add the butter and marinated garlic shrimp and cook the shrimp for 5 minutes, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. This is a nice easy gentle cooking process leaving tender juicy shrimp. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a generous amount of grits on a serving plate or shallow bowl. Pace the shrimp on the grits. Garnish the dish with chopped Italian parsley.