Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for partnering with me to bring you this recipe. They provided their Southern-Style White Corn Grits, as always the recipes and opinions are my own.
With layers of delicious flavour, this Garlic Shrimp with Ackee Sauté over Creamy Coconut Ackee Grits and Parsley Vinaigrette is a twist on a Southern classic.
Growing up, cornmeal appeared in a few ways in our meals . For breakfast it was usually in the form of porridge or boiled cornmeal dumplings; at lunch or dinner it would be coo coo (similar to grits made with okras, onions and sometimes coconut milk); festival (fried dough); cornbread or savoury corn pie; as dessert it would be cornmeal pone/pudding, and on special occasions (mostly Christmas) paimie and pastelles.
Though I’d heard of grits as a staple of Southern US cooking it wasn’t until I started learning about food that I realized that it was just cornmeal and more less the same as what would be referred to in Jamaica as “tun cornmeal” or polenta in Italy or with a few additions, coo coo (cou cou) in Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. I was still excited however, to try it as made in the southern style and was able to do so at Soco in Brooklyn and Amy Ruth’s in Harlem, which both had very delicious renditions. (Still have to make a trip to the south and try them there too, it’s on my list! 🙃)
As much as I enjoyed the cheesey grits both times I tried it, I generally prefer to not pair seafood with cheese. So in my version, I have replaced the cheese with the combination of ackee and coconut milk, to give a creamy finish without the dairy.
These grits are coarse ground, so they do have to cook for some time, but it’s mostly hands off and I love the texture! I’m curious about the result of a cornbread made with these grits, but that would be a story for another time.
I kept my shrimp and ackee seasonings to a minimum, so there would be clean delicious flavours coming through and then added the parsley vinaigrette which is basically a riff on a chimichurri sauce to cut through the richness of the dish. It was insanely the delicious the day of but even more delicious reheated on the second day 😆 in our opinion anyway.
Have you ever had grits? What’s your favourite way to have them?
As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you make this or any of the recipes from the site, be sure to #amazingackee and @amazingackee so I can see your posts across social media.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by 😊
Creamy Coconut & Ackee Grits
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Southern Style White Grits
- 2 1/2 cups Water
- 1 1/2 cup Coconut milk divided
- 3/4 cup Parboiled ackee pureed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the water, pureed ackee, salt, pepper and 1 1/4 cup of the coconut milk in a heavy bottomed dutch pot with high sides (use a pot bigger than you think you need as the grits will bubble and sputter)
- Bring the mixture to a boil then steadily pour in the grits while whisking.
- Keep stirring until the mixture comes up to a boil.
- Cover pot and turn down to low.
- Let cook 35 to 40 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon (or silicone spoon/spatula) every 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the grits don’t stick to the bottom of the pot
- When done, mix in the remaining coconut milk a little at a time till desired consistency is achieved.
https://nutrifox.com/recipes/35892/edit
Garlic Shrimp & Sautéed Ackee
Ingredients
- 1 lb Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 cups Parboiled Ackee
- 5 cloves of Garlic finely grated
- Salt as needed
- Red and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Diced red peppers
- 1/4 cup Diced onions
- Oil as needed
- Hot pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the shrimp:
- Place grated garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Mash the garlic and salt with the flat blade of a knife working it back and forth and adding more salt as necessary to make a paste.
- Use this paste along with the red and black pepper to season the shrimp. Let the shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better)
Cook the shrimp:
- Place a nonstick pot oven medium-high heat and drizzle lightly with oil
- When hot, add shrimp and cook till pink, shaking the pot so the shrimp flip and cook evenly on both sides (you can use a spoon or spatula)
- Remove the shrimp to a plate
Cook the ackee:
- Return the pot to the stove and add a drizzle more of oil if needed.
- Add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till they start to become translucent
- Add the red peppers and cook for another minute. Add hot pepper and adjust seasoning to taste
- Return the shrimp to the pot and toss gently to combine.
- Serve over grits with parsley vinaigrette
https://nutrifox.com/recipes/35893/edit
Parsley Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup Parsley packed
- 4 cloves garlic finely grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Red Pepper to taste
- 3 tbsps White wine vinegar
- 6 tbsps Canola oil or any other oil you prefer
Instructions
- Chop the parsley finely with a knife of food processor (I prefer the food processor for this one)
- Put chopped parsley into a bowl then add remaining ingredients, mix till well combined.
- Can be made a day ahead
https://nutrifox.com/recipes/35895/edit