Of all of the places I’ve lived, the one I’d move back to in a heartbeat would be Durham, North Carolina. The people are friendly, the small cities nearby are energetic and the local food scene is thriving. It’s actually come a long way since I lived there eight years ago and while I haven’t been back to visit, I’ve been keeping tabs so that I know where (and what) to eat when I return. I have a growing list—I’m planning to share a few of them here over the next few weeks—and
Ann Prospero’s upcoming book,
Chefs of the Triangle: Their Lives, Recipes, and Restaurants is certainly helping. For today, here’s a recipe from the book from chef Scott Crawford of
Herons restaurant in Cary, NC. I am a BIG fan of shrimp and grits and once I saw that this recipe takes the standard recipe to a whole new level by adding fresh tomatoes and bacon (not to mention turning the grits into a soufflé), well, I was totally sold. And the cheese grits sound so good that I might just make them on their own.
Cheddar Grits Soufflé with Tomatoes and Shrimp and Smoked Pepper-Bacon Jus
Serves 6
This recipe has four parts. Make the Cheddar Grits and Grits Soufflé last so it is warm at serving.
Cheddar Grits
1 cup stone ground grits
1 ½ cup ham or chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1. In a medium saucepot over low heat, add the grits, stock, salt, cream, and butter. Cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring often, until tender.
2. Fold in the shredded cheese and allow to cool to room temperature.
Grits Soufflé
1 cup cooled cheddar grits
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 egg whites
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 6 small 4-ounce ramekins.
2. In a large stainless mixing bowl, combine well the cooled grits, yolks, and cornstarch. Reserve.
3. When you are ready to cook the soufflés, whisk the egg whites to medium peaks. Then fold them into the grits mixture in 3 parts. Do not over mix, as it will deflate the egg whites. Place into the ramekins so they are ¾ full.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tips are a rich golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
5. Remove from the oven and with an oven mitt or towel, and turn the soufflés out onto the center of each of six plates. Set aside for the addition of the shrimp, tomatoes, and jus.
Smoked Pepper-Bacon Jus
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices smoked bacon
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1. In a medium saucepot, brown the butter over medium heat, then add the bacon and brown slightly.
2. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook until they begin to slightly caramelize. Then add the tomato paste and coat all of the vegetables evenly, stirring often for 1 minute.
3. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and chicken stock and simmer gently. Reduce the liquid by half. Adjust the seasoning with salt.
4. Mix the cornstarch and water together and stir into the sauce, stirring often. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture ceases to be cloudy. (The starch cooks out.) Then strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Reserve the sauce and keep hot.
Tomatoes and Shrimp
24 grape tomatoes, peeled
12 shrimp (10-20 per pound), peeled and deveined
12 small bamboo skewers
1 shallot, diced
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons cold butter
Salt and pepper
1. To peel the tomatoes, submerge the tomatoes in ice water for 2 minutes, remove them and drop them into boiling water for 10 seconds. Then remove the tomatoes from the water and place back into the ice water. The skins should just peel off.
2. Arrange the shrimp so they are straight on the skewer. Poach them in salted simmering water for 1 minute or until just barely cooked. Chill in ice water and remove from the skewer. Cut into ¼ inch thick discs and reserve.
3. In a sauté pan bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer and add the sliced shrimp and peeled tomatoes. Then add the butter, swirling it until it emulsifies into the stock. Season with salt and pepper.
To plate: Place the hot soufflé in the middle of each plate. Arrange the shrimp around the soufflé, alternating 2 slices of shrimp to 1 tomato. To finish, pour the hot Smoked Pepper-Bacon Jus (sauce) over the soufflé and enjoy!
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Of all of the places I’ve lived, the one I’d move back to in a heartbeat would be Durham, North Carolina. The people are friendly, the small cities nearby are energetic and the local food scene is thriving. It’s actually come a long way since I lived there eight years ago and while I haven’t been back to visit, I’ve been keeping tabs so that I know where (and what) to eat when I return. I have a growing list—I’m planning to share a few of them here over the next few weeks—and Ann Prospero’s upcoming book, Chefs of the Triangle: Their Lives, Recipes, and Restaurants is certainly helping. For today, here’s a recipe from the book from chef Scott Crawford of Herons restaurant in Cary, NC. I am a BIG fan of shrimp and grits and once I saw that this recipe takes the standard recipe to a whole new level by adding fresh tomatoes and bacon (not to mention turning the grits into a soufflé), well, I was totally sold. And the cheese grits sound so good that I might just make them on their own.
Cheddar Grits Soufflé with Tomatoes and Shrimp and Smoked Pepper-Bacon Jus
Serves 6
This recipe has four parts. Make the Cheddar Grits and Grits Soufflé last so it is warm at serving.
Cheddar Grits
1 cup stone ground grits
1 ½ cup ham or chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1. In a medium saucepot over low heat, add the grits, stock, salt, cream, and butter. Cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring often, until tender.
2. Fold in the shredded cheese and allow to cool to room temperature.
Grits Soufflé
1 cup cooled cheddar grits
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 egg whites
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 6 small 4-ounce ramekins.
2. In a large stainless mixing bowl, combine well the cooled grits, yolks, and cornstarch. Reserve.
3. When you are ready to cook the soufflés, whisk the egg whites to medium peaks. Then fold them into the grits mixture in 3 parts. Do not over mix, as it will deflate the egg whites. Place into the ramekins so they are ¾ full.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tips are a rich golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
5. Remove from the oven and with an oven mitt or towel, and turn the soufflés out onto the center of each of six plates. Set aside for the addition of the shrimp, tomatoes, and jus.
Smoked Pepper-Bacon Jus
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices smoked bacon
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1. In a medium saucepot, brown the butter over medium heat, then add the bacon and brown slightly.
2. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook until they begin to slightly caramelize. Then add the tomato paste and coat all of the vegetables evenly, stirring often for 1 minute.
3. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and chicken stock and simmer gently. Reduce the liquid by half. Adjust the seasoning with salt.
4. Mix the cornstarch and water together and stir into the sauce, stirring often. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture ceases to be cloudy. (The starch cooks out.) Then strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Reserve the sauce and keep hot.
Tomatoes and Shrimp
24 grape tomatoes, peeled
12 shrimp (10-20 per pound), peeled and deveined
12 small bamboo skewers
1 shallot, diced
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons cold butter
Salt and pepper
1. To peel the tomatoes, submerge the tomatoes in ice water for 2 minutes, remove them and drop them into boiling water for 10 seconds. Then remove the tomatoes from the water and place back into the ice water. The skins should just peel off.
2. Arrange the shrimp so they are straight on the skewer. Poach them in salted simmering water for 1 minute or until just barely cooked. Chill in ice water and remove from the skewer. Cut into ¼ inch thick discs and reserve.
3. In a sauté pan bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer and add the sliced shrimp and peeled tomatoes. Then add the butter, swirling it until it emulsifies into the stock. Season with salt and pepper.
To plate: Place the hot soufflé in the middle of each plate. Arrange the shrimp around the soufflé, alternating 2 slices of shrimp to 1 tomato. To finish, pour the hot Smoked Pepper-Bacon Jus (sauce) over the soufflé and enjoy!
