2 sticks butter (unsalted preferred)
16 oz buttermilk
4 eggs
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
2 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 stick butter (unsalted preferred)
16 oz milk
8 oz heavy cream
16 oz sharp white cheddar cheese
1- 1 1/2 pounds extra large or jumbo shrimp
5 thick slices bacon
1 bundle of italian parsley
2 cloves of garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 bundle green onions
1 lemon
2 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup quick grits
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper
2 1/2 sticks butter (unsalted preferred)
8 oz heavy cream
16 oz milk
16 oz buttermilk
4 eggs
16 oz sharp white cheddar cheese
1- 1 1/2 pounds extra large or jumbo shrimp
5 thick slices bacon
1 bundle italian parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 bundle green onions
1 lemon
2 1/4 cup chick or vegetable stock
1 cup quick grits
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
The video is not the same recipe as the recipe provided. It does use the same ingredients, but the quantities are slightly different.
I am a huge fan of sweet corn bread, but if I wanted cake I would make cake. So this recipe while it is a little sweet, it is not cake like at all. It had the density of cornbread with the moistness of cake. I eating it right out of the oven with a slice of butter melted on top and then drizzled with a tiny bit of honey.
My cornbread is pictured to the right!
The making of the cornbread is super simple. If you don't have a food processor- buy a finer grain corn meal to achieve the right texture.
Don't have or can't find buttermilk? You can use plain milk- just add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the milk to get the same effect as buttermilk.
Where there were some issues is the baking portion. The reviews for this recipe kept saying it took longer than what it called for and I found the exact same issue. I used a 9x13 disposable aluminum pan and it took 52 minutes to bake! I think if I were to do this again, I would use a half sheet pan and bake it in a thin layer (because in the 9x13 pan it is a good 3.5-4 inches tall!). The recipe did state that you can cut the recipe in half and bake it in 9x9 dish... but I would even go so far as to say you could take the original recipe and bake it in two 9x13 pans to get a normal thickness of cornbread.
Ok, but after saying all that... if you have the time, I would just bake it as called for but just keep checking every 2-3 minutes with a toothpick to see if its done. Even though I baked it for 52 minutes.... it was still delicious!
First lets talk substitutions, here are some substitutions you can use (the Tasty video at the bottom under extra credit talks about substitutions):
Grits- you can use other types of grits other than quick grits. However, keep in mind that the cooking of the grits will take significantly longer (like 45 minutes to an hour)
Stock- I use chicken and vegetable stock in almost every recipe that calls for water or broth. I love the flavor of vegetable stock for this recipe- so if you can find it, I would use it. However, if shelves are depleted broth works as well.
Smoked Paprika- I didn't have it on hand, so I used regular paprika. If you do have it, it does lend a LOT more flavor (I was mad at myself that I forgot about it while at the grocery store)
Cajun seasoning- you can use any brand cajun seasoning you like. Personally I like Emeril Lagasse's but you can use Tony Cachere's or Slap Your Momma's.
SHARP White Cheddar Cheese- This one might be a little more difficult to find. If you can't find white cheddar cheese, get the regular yellow sharp cheddar cheese. The white is more aesthetically pleasing, but any SHARP cheddar will lend the flavor.
My shrimp and grits are pictured to the left!
As mentioned in previous cooking challenges, with cooking it's not going to ruined the finished product if you add more of something (with the exception of liquid) for the most part. So when it comes to chopping up the vegetables/aromatics for this dish, just because you get enough to for 2 teaspoons of garlic... don't throw the extra garlic away! Add it to it! More flavor! I like to have more of the vegetable mixture with my grits--so I used two bell peppers (one red and one orange), a whole bundle of green onions, 6 cloves of garlic, and a good handful of the parsley (remember with parsley you only want the leaves- the stems are bitter).
As far as making this dish, both components need your undivided attention. You can't really do both at once (I attempted it and my grits came out a little more lumpy that I would of liked them). So with that said I would recommend making the GRITS FIRST. Once you get the grits to the consistency you like them. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the grits. Then work on the shrimp mixture. In the demo video, they did it the opposite but I would think the shrimp mixture would get cold while you wait on the grits. Once your shrimp mixture is ready, turn on the grits heat to low and stir to heat back up (you won't need to do this much- it being covered will keep the heat in).
While you are waiting for the stock, milk and cream to come to a boil, chop your vegetables.
WATCH YOUR POT WHILE THE MILK/CREAM/STOCK MIXTURE COMES TO A BOIL! If you don't.... you will be cleaning up an intense boil over (it boils over quickly!). Have your cup of grits ready to go in. As soon as you see that milk mixture creeping up to the top of your pot/pan, move it off the heat and slowly whisk in the grits. Then move back on to the heat and continue the directions.
Have extra cheese lying around? Use it! I used about a cup and a half of shredded sharp white cheddar, but I also had a bag of swiss/gruyere shredded cheese in my fridge. So I used the rest of that (which was about a cup). The grits were sooo cheesy, but oh so good!
Make sure you shrimp are dry before putting into the bacon grease/butter mixture. If they are still wet they are just going to steam and not sear. I always put my shrimp on papertowels, put papertowels over them and then roll them up. It gets most of that excess water off of them.
When it comes to adding the stock to the vegetable mixture, add a little bit at a time. I found it didn't need that much (I think I used just under 1/4 cup).
