Description
A comforting Southern-inspired dish featuring creamy sweet potato grits topped with flavorful brown stew shrimp cooked in a rich spiced sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Grits
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 ½ cups grits (not instant grits)
- ½ cup sweet potato puree (or pumpkin puree)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 cup shredded gouda cheese (or sharp cheddar cheese)
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Brown Stew Shrimp
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined (tail on or off)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ green bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded & chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons browning sauce (Grace brand recommended)
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- ¼ cup sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Sweet Potato Grits: In a large saucepan, bring the water, chicken broth, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in the grits, stirring well to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, whisking often, until tender, about 30 minutes. Add water if grits become too stiff. Stir in sweet potato puree, butter, half and half, shredded cheese, and white pepper until combined. Adjust salt to taste and keep warm on low heat.
- Marinate the Shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with avocado oil, smoked paprika, allspice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes while grits cook.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat until sizzling. Add diced bell peppers, onion, carrot, and chopped scotch bonnet pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender and golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Add Aromatics and Sauce: Stir in garlic and ginger paste; cook until fragrant for about 1 minute. Add browning sauce and mix well with the vegetables.
- Cook the Shrimp: Add marinated shrimp, chicken broth, and sliced scallions to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes. Sauce should thicken and coat shrimp.
- Serve: Divide warm sweet potato grits among bowls. Top each with brown stew shrimp and garnish with additional scallions if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Use high-quality stone-ground grits for best texture.
- Adjust the heat of the dish by adding more or less scotch bonnet pepper.
- If grits become too thick, loosen them with a splash of water or stock.
- Let shrimp marinate to develop deeper flavor before cooking.
- Browning sauce adds color and depth, but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Serve garnished with extra scallions for freshness and color.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
