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Spicy Shrimp Skewers with Cheesy Grits

Source of Recipe

From "Cook's Illustrated All-Time Best Brunch"


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe makes serving the classic Southern brunch of tender spiced shrimp and creamy grits a totally streamlined pursuit thanks to a few skewers and an innovative cooking technique. After readying a generous batch of rich, cheesy grits in a baking dish, we made light work of cooking plenty of shrimp at once by skewering them head to tail and propping the skewers widthwise across the dish of bubbly grits. A chili powder-spiced butter gave the shrimp plenty of pleasant heat. By the time the shrimp had cooked through, our grits were nicely thickened. In lieu of the seasoned sauce we would have gotten from sautéing the shrimp, we pulled together a fragrant mixture of butter, chili powder, and smoky chipotle chile powder to dollop on when serving. Chopped scallions and lime wedges finished the dish with a burst of freshness. The grits' cooking time in step 1 will depend on the brand of grits. You will need eight 12-inch metal or bamboo skewers for this recipe."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 ½ cups chicken broth
â—¦ 1 ½ cups old-fashioned grits
â—¦ ¾ cup whole milk
â—¦ 3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled and deveined
â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
â—¦ 2 teaspoons chili powder
â—¦ 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
â—¦ Lime wedges


Recipe

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Combine broth, grits, milk, scallion whites, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt in prepared dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until grits are tender, 50 minutes to 1 ¼ hours.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and toss in bowl with 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Working with one shrimp at a time, thread tail onto one 12-inch skewer, and head onto second 12-inch skewer. Repeat with remaining shrimp, alternating direction of heads and tails, packing six to eight shrimp tightly onto each pair of skewers.

Remove grits from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Stir cheddar into grits and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay shrimp skewers widthwise across baking dish so that shrimp hover over grits. Continue to bake grits and shrimp until shrimp are opaque throughout and grits have thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter, remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and â…› teaspoon salt until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Carefully remove dish from oven and transfer shrimp skewers to plate. Stir grits thoroughly, then portion into serving bowls. Remove shrimp from skewers and place on top of grits. Drizzle with spice butter, sprinkle with scallion greens, and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4 to 6