The Wife's Shrimp & Grits

The Husband turned 30 this past weekend! Yes, he's an old man now - or at least I like to tease him that he is.  He also received a big promotion last Friday, so we had a lot to celebrate that weekend. Anyways, we had a bunch of people in town and I bought several pounds of shrimp with the intention of making shrimp and grits for brunch one morning - shrimp and grits being one of Hubby's favorite meals. Well, needless to say, neither morning was I in the best of conditions to make brunch.

No worries though, because I knew they'd make a great dinner this week.  The recipe is my creation, my spin on shrimp and grits - I took bits and pieces that I liked from several recipes and added my own touch.  These are pretty different than these shrimp and grits Hubby has made in the past.

These grits are absolutely heavenly and Hubby raved about these.  Aged Gouda is one of my favorite cheeses - the depth of flavor, richness and the spots of crunchy crystallized calcium are divine.  The aged Gouda departs that richness into the grits.  You definitely get that hint of caramel in them. 

The crispy prosciutto and raw green onion are great contrasts to the creamy grits.  The shrimp are flavorful and all of the flavors combine to make one delicious bowl of shrimp and grits.

The Wife's Shrimp & Grits

1 - 1 1/2 lb raw, peeled shrimp (I used 31-40 count)
1/2 cup extra dry vermouth
4 slices of prosciutto, roughly chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups freshly shredded aged Gouda
1 cup quick-cooking grits
2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups warm water
4 tbsp butter, divided
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Coat with non-stick spray. Saute prosciutto until uniformly crispy. Set aside.

Grits:
In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, combine broth and water.  Bring to a boil.  Gradually whisk in grits.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook for 8-10 minutes or until creamy, stirring occasionally. 

Gradually whisk in cheese.  Cook for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. 

Whisk in butter and salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Shrimp:
Soak peeled shrimp in vermouth for 20 minutes.  Melt 2 1/2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute shrimp until pink - about 3-4 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Plating:
Spoon grits into each bowl.  Sprinkle grits with half of prosciutto and onion.  Top with shrimp.  Sprinkle with rest of prosciutto and onion.  Spoon remaining sauce from the shrimp pan over each bowl.