Grits with shrimp and chorizo

We had to drag ourselves kicking and screaming away from the red meat last night. Fortunately we had a 2-lb. bag of shrimp in the freezer that we had gotten at Sunflower at a really great price.

A little Mexican chorizo could sub for the Spanish (fully cooked), you’d just need to cook it as the first step before getting to the shrimp. The ketchup and horseradish garnish is certainly optional – I just got a jones for it at the last minute.

Grits with shrimp and chorizo
1 14 oz. can chicken stock
½ cup water
1 cup medium grind corn meal
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, divided
1/3 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp finely chopped Spanish chorizo
10 oz. peeled and de-veined shrimp
salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, white and green parts chopped
¼ cup ketchup
2 tbsp prepared horseradish

In a deep sauce pot (because of potentail splatters) heat the stock to a boil. Whisk in the corn meal and adjust the heat to a lower setting so that the grits bubble, but slowly. Stir frequently. It will take about 20 minutes for the grits to finish cooking. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Near the end, stir in 1 tbsp butter and the peas.

When the grits are about 10 minutes along, heat the olive oil and the other tbsp butter in a saute pan. When the butter has melted and the foam subsided, add chorizo and the shrimp. (I should point out here that this timing was based on large, 16-20 per lb., shrimp. Adjust your timing to suit the size of the shrimp.)

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Turn the shrimp when the bottom half has turned opaque. As soon as the second side is opaque, remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate or bowl until ready to serve atop the grits.

To serve: put grits in the bottom of heated bowls and top with shrimp, chorizo, scallions, and some mix of ketchup and horseradish, if using.