In October of 2009, I dined at famous Chef Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant, NOLA. NOLA is right in the French Quarter on Rue St. Louis, making it an easy destination for vacationing foodies. The French Quarter is the heart of New Orleans’ tourist area and still one of my favorite places to wander around when I visit the city. You can soak up the rich history and culture of New Orleans in every corner of the Quarter.
Figuring that I was down South and should try a new local dish, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits (NOLA’s menu still features this dish and you can read the description of it here). I had never tasted such creamy grits, succulent shrimp fresh from the Gulf coast, or a sauce with such depth of flavor. I was sure that I would never get to taste this combination again, but when searching for a recipe for this week’s blog post I came across the actual recipe for NOLA’s Shrimp and Grits! I couldn’t contain myself. I had to try it. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! It was exactly as I remembered it, if not even better (not to brag or anything). I served this meal on Saturday night for my parents and they agreed that the recipe is definitely a keeper.
At first glance, the recipe looks daunting. There are a number of parts that need to come together to create the layers of flavor in this dish. However, if you make one piece of the recipe at a time and then throw it all together at the end you’ll be fine. I started with Emeril’s signature seasoning, called Emeril’s Essence. You can purchase Essence in the spice aisle at the grocery store, but I decided that since I had all of the ingredients on hand I would just make it from scratch. I then made the Abita BBQ Glaze, followed by the Smoked Crimini Mushrooms and Rendered Bacon. Finally, the Smoked Cheddar Grits (although I couldn’t find smoked cheddar cheese, so they turned out to just be Cheddar Grits), and the shrimp.
NOLA’s Shrimp and Grits
Adapted from NOLA’s Shrimp and Smoked Cheddar Grits, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse and the Food Network. I halved this recipe and it easily served 4.
Shrimp
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen)
2 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 recipe Smoked Cremini Mushrooms and Rendered Bacon, recipe follows
1 recipe Abita BBQ Glaze, recipe follows
1 recipe Smoked Cheddar Grits, recipe follows
1 recipe Citrus Buerre Blanc, recipe follows (I did not include this…too complicated and not needed in my opinion!)
1 recipe Grilled Green Onions, recipe follows
In a large bowl, combine shrimp, Essence, and salt. Set aside and heat large skillet over high heat. Add olive oil to the skillet and heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, then add the shrimp in one even layer. Sear shrimp for about 1 minute, until caramelized on the bottom. Flip shrimp and add the Smoked Mushrooms and Rendered Bacon and the Abita BBQ Glaze to the pan. Continue cooking the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked through and have been coated with sauce. Add remaining butter and stir into the sauce until melted.
When ready to serve, place the grits as the first layer in a bowl and spoon the shrimp, mushrooms, bacon, and sauce over top. Garnish with the grilled green onions.
Emeril’s Essence
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients together.
Smoked Cremini Mushrooms and Rendered Bacon
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, halved, or quartered if large
1 1/2 teaspoons Essence
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound bacon, diced
I have to be honest here and make two confessions. Confession #1: Emeril’s recipe calls for actually getting out a stovetop smoker and smoking the mushrooms. I don’t own a stovetop smoker and didn’t think it was an essential part of this dish, so I didn’t go to all of that trouble. Confession #2: I used baby bella mushrooms instead of cremini. To make the mushrooms, I just drizzled them with olive oil, tossed them together with the Essence, and sauteed in a pan until they were soft. In a separate pan, I cooked the diced bacon until it was crispy then drained on a paper towel. I set both the mushrooms and bacon aside until I needed them at the end. No need to keep them warm.
Abita BBQ Glaze
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Abita amber beer (Hands down, my favorite beer when in New Orleans! You can get it at a beer distributor up here, but you can also use any amber beer in it’s place for this recipe.)
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir until mixed, then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. You can set this aside until needed at the end.
Smoked Cheddar Grits
6 cups water
Salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking or old-fashioned grits (not instant!)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
6 ounces grated smoked white Cheddar (or regular Cheddar if you can’t find smoked…like me!)
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add a good amount of salt and the grits, stirring to combine. Watch for the grits to start thickening, then add milk, cream and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for up to 45 minutes (I found that I only had to cook mine for about 10 minutes) until they are smooth and creamy. Add the Cheddar cheese and black pepper, stirring until the cheese is melted. Be sure to serve the grits while hot.
Grilled Green Onions
8 green onions, root end and tips trimmed
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Super easy. You can use a grill pan or a regular saute pan for this. Season the green onions with oil, salt, and pepper. Heat the pan over medium to high heat then place the onions in the pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning a few times, until tender and browned.
In the Kitchen with NOLA 