Truffle Shrimp and Grits

It’s not just cold, it’s freezing! Yesterday, it snowed, which is a rare occurrence in North Carolina. The snow came during the night, and the entire next day was full of nothing but freezing rain. Though I knew it was a pointless venture, my son and I went outside to attempt to build a snowman, and I quickly found out it was really going to be an iceman. The snow had such a hard outer layer, that we had a hard time getting any details to show. It was simply three ice balls stacked atop of each other, but my son loved it. Sooner than expected, we decided it was time to go back inside and warm up.

When the weather is cold, my body craves something to warm my soul, and nothing does the job like a nice hot meal. However, if I really want to warm up during cold days like this, I need a little spice as well! I decided to make Shrimp and Grits. It is served hot, it can have as much spice as you want, and it soothes and comforts in a way that makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. No matter your age, a nice helping of shrimp and grits will make you feel like grandma made it with her old seasoned cast iron.

This recipe has not one but TWO of my favorite seasonings: Old Bay and Creole Seasoning. Flavors that open your palate and make you realize you don’t ever want to eat food that is not seasoned. You can’t go wrong with one, but both…Lord have mercy!

I decided to pull out and give our NEW cast iron pan a try. It was a Christmas gift. It’s one of those gifts that you never think of when someone asks “What do you want for Christmas?” But it’s one of those gifts that you are happy to receive. What better way to test it out than to throw some bacon and shrimp in it! I have made shrimp and grits many times. I have fried, baked, and air-fried bacon and shrimp, but to be honest, nothing matches the taste that the cast iron gives it.

Sometimes people ask, “how do I use white truffle sauce?” It is as simple as mixing it into the grits before plating your meal. Even when you have a dish with this much flavor, the truffle sauce adds a hint of earthy, elegancy that pairs so well with this dish.

I can’t lie, the first time I made this dish, I thought to myself “Will the other flavors outshine the truffle?”, but they did not.

Sometimes people are afraid to use the truffle with dishes that are well seasoned for fear that the more intense flavor will overpower the truffle. However, I feel it just needs to be paired well, and the cheesy truffle girts were the perfect complement to the well-seasoned shrimp! You can have your cake and eat it too!

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I did!

If you would like to try the ..

Easy Truffle Shrimp and Grits

Jamie Blank

Servings

3-6

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Cuisine

American

Category

Fish/Seafood

This is a rather easy way to make a Southern staple. Shrimp and Grits can be found on many menus across the south, and it is a way to easily take something that can be very ordinary to extraordinary with ease.


As mentioned, I love the combination of Old Bay and Cajun seasonings. However, you can easily adjust the seasoning for the shrimp if you prefer a little less or a little more spice. Same can be said for the grits. You can add more cheese, more truffle sauce, and even add a little cajun seasoning and/or paprika to them. Just keep in mind, if you add extra cheese it will make the grits thicker, so you may want to add a tablespoon or two of extra chicken broth, all depending on how thick you prefer your grits.


Plating is up to you. If you use a plate, a bowl, or even a mini cast iron, all are acceptable choices. When plating I prefer to add the grits first, then top the grits with the shrimp and bacon. This allows for a great presentation, and the person eating them can mix or combine each bite as they wish.


Another idea is to not add the truffle sauce until the grits portion is plated. This can allow your family to add as much or as little as they prefer, start with a teaspoon per serving and go up from there if desired. Then mix it in thoroughly, and top with the shrimp, bacon, and parsley.

Easy Truffle Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, in pieces

  • 1 cup grits

  • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

  • ½ tablespoon paparika

  • 1 ½ tablespoon cajun seasoning

  • ½ tablspoon Old Bay seasoning

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese

  • 2 tablespoons Truffletopia White Truffle Sauce

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

  • chopped parsley, fresh

  • sea salt

  • fresh ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a hot cast iron pan crisp the bacon. As it’s cooking, season your shrimp with cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.

  2. In a pot, bring the stick to a boil, and then add grits, butter, heavy cream and salt. Stir this, over medium heat and allow it to cook and thicken.

  3. When the bacon is crisp, put on a plate with a paper towel, so the grease can drain.

  4. Once the grits reach your desired consistency, add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Truffletopia White Truffle Sauce. Fold in the ingredients until the cheese is melted.

  5. Next, sear the shrimp in the bacon grease on both sides.

  6. Plate your grits, add the shrimp and bacon, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
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