Shrimp and Roasted Green Chile Grits

Before moving to Louisiana, I had never had Shrimp and Grits and frankly did not have any real desire to try it; however, once I tried it, I really liked it and have made it several times in different ways. If you have never tried shrimp and grits, I highly recommend you try this recipe!

This recipe is a little southwestern twist on this southern classic and I think you will really enjoy it!

Ingredients

1 fresh green chile

Olive oil, for drizzling

Salt

Pepper

3 strips of bacon

2 cups of fat free milk

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of cajun seasoning

1/2 cup of yellow corn grits

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 pound of shrimp

1 tablespoon of margarine

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Arrange oven rack 4-5 inches away from broiler and heat broiler to high. Place green chile on a sheet pan and drizzle chile with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Allow chile to roast under broiler until skin is charred and black on all sides (you'll have to turn the chile over mid-way through). Remove from oven and place in a brown paper bag and roll the top of the bag down. Leave chile in the bag for about 15 minutes to allow the chile to steam. This will allow you to easily peal the skin from the chile later.

Meanwhile, heat skillet to medium heat and cook the bacon. I recommend cutting the bacon in half as I find that it cooks better this way. After bacon is crispy remove from pan and allow to cool on a paper towel. Once cool, crumble the bacon. Turn off burner, but reserve bacon grease and drippings in the pan until it is time to cook the shrimp.

Add milk, salt, garlic and cajun seasoning to a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir milk occasionally so the milk does not scald (burn) on the bottom of the pan before you add the grits. While milk is coming to a boil, remove chile from brown bag. Gently peel the skin away from the chile, using a knife to scape, if necessary. Cut the stem off and slice lengthwise down the chile. Unfold the chile so it is flat and using your knife, scrap all the seeds out and discard. Roughly chop the chili. Make sure to wash your hands when you are finished handling the chile.

When milk comes to a boil, add grits slowly while whisking quickly. Turn temperature to medium low and allow grits to cook according to the package directions. Depending on the type of grits and the brand you purchase, this could be anywhere from six to twenty minutes. Continue to whisk the grits while they are cooking to achieve a creamy texture. Turn temperature to low and add cheese, chopped chile and two-third of bacon crumbles. Stir to incorporate.

Re-heat bacon pan to medium heat. (If there is too much bacon grease, lightly soak it up with a paper towel.) Melt one tablespoon of butter in pan and add lemon juice. Add shrimp to the pan and cook for several minutes until the shrimp are opaque and pink in color.

To serve, spoon grits into a bowl and place shrimp on top. Top with remaining bacon crumbles and ENJOY!