Bloody Mary Shrimp and Grits

My recipe posts were put on hold last week while my husband isolated with a COVID-19 infection.  I made and photographed several dishes but didn't have access to my office to process the photos - the color calibration on my laptop is not fabulous.  While Matt was cooped up by himself, at least he got to enjoy some deliveries of home-cooked food, and one of those meals was a serving of Bloody Mary Shrimp & Grits.

It's fun to take the flavors from a dish or a beverage and infuse them into something totally different, so I wanted to create an easy, weeknight-friendly meal that uses the flavor profile from a Bloody Mary and puts them into a classic Southern dish.

What Ingredients Do I Need For Bloody Mary Shrimp and Grits?

• A pound of raw shrimp: I like to use the big bags of frozen, peeled, tail-off shrimp from Costco
• Seasonings: Celery salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce
• Onion and Garlic: Sauteed in butter, but of course.
• Original V8 juice: This is an easy ingredient to infuse a lot of familiar Bloody Mary flavor into the dish
• Vodka: Because... duh (don't worry, it's just a splash)
• Tomato paste: This ingredient is fabulous for thickening sauces, adding color, and enriching flavor
• Stone-ground yellow corn grits: Use a combination of milk and water when cooking for extra richness

What Kind of Grits Should I use For Shrimp and Grits?

I like to use toothy stone-ground grits that have a coarser texture and more of a bite in a shrimp & grits dish.  My favorite grits are Bob's Red Mill Yellow Corn Grits (not sponsored or affiliated - I just really like 'em) - also known as polenta - but you can use any kind of grits that you have on hand.  If you're a Southerner like me and are used to eating white grits (hominy) then go ahead and use 'em!

What Should I Serve With Shrimp and Grits?

Shrimp & grits can be a meal all on their own, but pair well with any green vegetables, especially Southern staples like cooked greens (collard, mustard, kale, whatever you like), okra, asparagus, broccoli, coleslaw, or just a simple salad.

The key to perfecting this recipe is to taste it along the way and adjust the seasonings as you see fit.  This is especially true of the hot sauce in the shrimp mixture and the butter and salt in the grits.  Even if I'm using a recipe that I love and have used many times before, I will always taste and adjust seasonings, since the brand and age of your spices can vary greatly from what the original author used.

I hope you love this wonderful recipe - even on a weeknight!  Enjoy!

How To Make Bloody Mary Shrimp and Grits

Bloody Mary Shrimp and Grits

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• Author: Erin Browne
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

A favorite cocktail gets transformed into a hearty plate of shrimp and grits! A new way to have your Bloody Mary?

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Ingredients

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• Bloody Mary Shrimp
• 1 lb frozen raw shrimp (tail off, peeled), thawed*
• Celery salt and pepper
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups original V8 juice
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 TBS vodka
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Yellow Corn Grits
• 1 cup coarse yellow corn grits or polenta**
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup milk
• 2 TBS butter
• Salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Bloody Mary Shrimp
2. If your shrimp is still frozen, place it into a bowl and put it in the sink under a continous stream of cool water. This will quickly thaw the grits in 10-15 minutes.
3. Pat thawed shrimp dry with a paper towel and season lightly with celery salt and pepper. Melt butter in a wide saucepan and add the shrimp. Cook for about 1 minute on each side and then remove shrimp to a plate, reserving the remaining butter in the pan. Note: you don't want the shrimp to be fully cooked just yet.
4. Add the chopped onion to the melted butter and saute until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
5. Add the V8 juice, tomato paste, vodka, and Worcestershire to the pan. Stir until heated through, and then add a splash of hot sauce, taste, and add more hot sauce as desired. Add the shrimp back to the pan and allow to cook on a low simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Yellow Corn Grits
7. While the shrimp mixture is cooking, make the grits. Bring 3 cups of water and ½ cup milk to a boil. Salt generously, and then pour in the grits while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in the butter, taste, and adjust salt as desired.
8. Scoop grits onto serving plates and top with Bloody Mary shrimp.

Notes

* I buy the large bags of frozen raw shrimp from Costco! They have lots of varieties (tail on, tail off, etc) and they are so convenient.
** My favorite brand is Bob's Red Mill, but you can use anything you like... you can even use white grits if you prefer. Using different grits may change the amount of liquid you need when cooking them, so please refer to the cooking instructions of the grits that you choose.

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

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