Mesa Grits Recipes

SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.
• Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
• Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

MESA "GRITS"

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the onion and garlic, cook until translucent.
• Add the hominy, cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer to a food processor, and process until almost smooth - it should have some texture.
• Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the cream.
• Cook until the mixture thickens, about ten minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

DRUNKEN LOBSTER N' GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water, whole milk and sea salt to boil in medium size saucepan on medium high heat.
• Gradually whisk in 1 cup stone ground grits and return to low boil stirring occasionally until creamy-thick for 45 minutes or so.
• Set to warm until ready to serve with lobster. Add gruyere cheese.
• Bring medium size skillet to medium high heat and add 1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil.
• Add onion, celery and roasted red peppers. Sautee until the onions begin to turn tender.
• Add Creole seasoning and blend with vegetables.
• Add lobster and stir to combine lobster with other ingredients.
• Continue to cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes or until lobster begins to turn pink.
• Move all ingredients to one side of skillet and add rum to bare side of skillet.
• Let rum sizzle for a few seconds and then add butter.
• Once butter begins to melt, blend all ingredients in pan back together. Stir for another minute or so until lobster is pink.
• Place grits in bowls and spoon lobster mixture over top. Serve immediately.

BAR AMERICAIN'S GULF SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups of the water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the grits are soft and have lost their gritty texture, whisking every few minutes, 15 to 20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add remaining water and continue cooking until absorbed. Add the cheese and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
• Place bacon in a medium pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown and crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and place back on the heat. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to high Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and add to the pan with the garlic. Saute until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate. Reserve the garlic oil to drizzle over the finished dish.
• Divide the grits among 4 bowls and top each with 5 shrimp. Drizzle the top with some of the bacon-garlic oil (that the shrimp were sauteed in) and sprinkle with some of the green onion.