Crawfish & Grits

Since this is officially my first recipe posted to this site, I figured I'd keep true to my roots. This is definitely southern inspired comfort food that will fill your belly. Honestly, you'll probably want to put on your eating pants and take a nap afterwards. I know I did.

Originally, my kids were throwing around the idea that they had been craving shrimp and grits. I, on the other hand, was leaning more to a variation of Eggplant Pirogue from Copeland's of New Orleans and crawfish. This crawfish and grits recipe was my compromise. This recipe left everyone happy and, most of all, FULL. Is it healthy? Hell no! Is it going to make your tummy happy? Damn right! So, without further ado (because if you are here you probably didn't come for my life story), I present to you my Crawfish & Grits.

Boom! Confetti! Fireworks and all that jazz!

Crawfish & Grits

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups stone ground grits

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb. peeled crawfish tails

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided

1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into tablespoon increments and divided

3/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp parsley, chopped and divided

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

4 green onions, chopped

2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

3 cups heavy cream, divided

Pour the water into a large pot. Add the grits, bay leaves, and salt to the water. Bring the grits to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat immediately and cover. Allow the grits to sit and soak for about 15 minutes. 

While the grits are soaking, add crawfish tails to a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp over the crawfish and toss to coat. Set aside. 

Once the grits have soaked, uncover them and bring them back to a boil over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently while they are cooking so that they don't burn. 

While the grits are boiling again, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and begins to bubble, add the shallots and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Next, stir in the garlic, 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp black pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Allow the garlic to cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. 

Turn the heat of the sautéing shallots and garlic up to medium-high and add 1 tbsp parsley and the crawfish. Sprinkle the flour over the crawfish. Stir until thoroughly combined. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Next, add the Worcestershire, sherry, and green onions to the crawfish. Stir constantly for another minute or so. 

Add 2 cups of cream to the crawfish. Whisk until thoroughly combined. When the sauce starts to simmer, you will want to reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While the sauce is finishing up, remove the grits from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the remaining stick of butter, cheese, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 cup of cream. Stir until the butter has fully melted and the ingredients are well combined. 

Before serving, taste the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

To serve, spoon some grits into the center of a shallow bowl. Add some of the sauce over the grits. Use the remaining parsley to garnish. 

ENJOY!

NOTES: 

When I originally made this, I didn't think to add paprika. Afterwards, I felt that the sauce lacked the color it really deserved. In addition to the paprika, I would also recommend a little cayenne. Without the paprika and cayenne, everything tasted great but this recipe could definitely be elevated with some extra color and razzmatazz. I added these suggestions to the posted recipe. Next time though, I think I might just try it with some crabmeat. YUM!

Have you tried this recipe? Is there anything you would omit or add? Please tell me all about it.

~ Asha Cole