Growing up smack in the middle of Georgia, breakfast meant grits, usually served up with a big slice of ham or bacon, a generous pouring of red-eye gravy, and, maybe if you were lucky, a piping hot fresh-from-the-oven biscuit.
I hated them. (Truth is the only breakfast I would eat was a hamburger with french fries, which my guilted mother frequently indulged, but that's another post.) Those runny blobs and gelatinous masses of virtually tasteless ground corn of my childhood could only be made palatable by adding massive amounts of butter, salt, and pepper, and really, what was the point? Our dogs wouldn't even eat them, and I understood why.
So it should come as no surprise that when I left the south, I left grits behind and never looked back. Until recently, when I noticed citified versions of grits popping up on the menus of better eateries across the south, most notably with shrimp. Add Andouille sausage to that combination, and you've really got my attention. I tried them. I liked them, some more than others.
This is my favorite interpretation of the dish, my own. It's a rich, filling meal, more brunch than breakfast, perfect for a lazy Sunday when you plan to eat late and make it a two meal day. Add a cup of cafe au lait, a Mimosa, maybe one of those killer, fresh-from-the-oven, White Lily biscuits with a little dollop of fig jam, and you're good to go until dinner.
The dish is best when you use old-fashioned stone ground grits, not the instant or quick-cooking varieties, (which IMHO are largely responsible for the ill fame grits enjoy). Of course in a pinch, or if you live in a grit forsaken place like California, you can make do with what you have. Just prepare the grits according to package directions substituting half broth and half milk for the liquid. (Better yet, plan ahead and order stone ground grits online.)
Likewise, the recipe gold standard is real Andouille sausage. In a pinch any good, spicy, Polish or Italian sausage would probably suffice. But if you can't find it where you live, it's well worth the trouble to order authentic Andouille from the Cajun Grocer.
Finally, and some might call it overkill, if you want your grits extra, sinfully, deliciously rich, use a cup of heavy cream in place of one of the cups of milk. Grits anybody can love, trust me.
SHRIMP & GRITS WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE
Shrimp and Sausage:
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus olive oil spray for pan)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, low sodium preferred
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Grits:
1 cup stone-ground coarse grits
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium preferred
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Place a deep skillet over medium heat, spray with olive oil spray and add the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and saute about 2 minutes to soften. Add the sausage and cook until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Slowly pour in 1 cup chicken stock and 1 cup white wine, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add bay leaf. (If mixture becomes too thick, add a little more stock.) When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are pink and firm, and the gravy is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the grits, bring 2 cups of stock, the milk, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the grits and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until grits reach desired consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and add pepper to taste.
To serve, spoon grits into serving bowls, top with shrimp mixture, sprinkle with green onions and parsley. Serves 4
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