Best Charleston Stormy Recipes

CHARLESTON TEA

Steps:

• Stir together the sweet tea, lemonade and bourbon in a large pitcher. Pour into ice-filled iced tea glasses and garnish with sprigs of mint and slices of lemon.

OLD CHARLESTON STYLE SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk grits into the boiling water, and then whisk in half-and-half. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until grits are thickened and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• Sprinkle shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Add lemon juice, toss to combine, and set aside to marinate.
• Place sausage slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove sausage from the skillet.
• Add bacon to the same skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop or crumble when cool enough to handle. Leave bacon drippings in the skillet.
• Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
• Stir cooked sausage and marinated shrimp into the skillet with the cooked vegetables. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, stirring to create a smooth roux. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is golden brown in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, mixture burns easily.
• Pour the roux over the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. Place the skillet over medium heat, add chicken broth, bacon, and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Cook until sauce thickens up and shrimp turn opaque and bright pink, about 8 minutes.
• Just before serving, mix sharp Cheddar cheese into grits until melted and grits are creamy and light yellow. Serve shrimp mixture over cheese grits.

DARK AND STORMY

Steps:

• For the quick ginger beer: In a large saucepan add the grated ginger (along with any juice), allspice berries, cloves, sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat. Add the lime zest and let steep while it cools, about 30 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and stir in the lime juice. Fill with sparkling water. Serve over ice within one day or use in a dark and stormy cocktail. Makes 5 cups.
• For the dark and stormy: Fill a highball glass halfway with crushed ice. Add the rum and 5 to 6 ounces ginger beer. Top with lime juice, stir and garnish with lime slices. Serve immediately.

TOM'S CLASSIC DARK AND STORMY

Steps:

• Fill a Collins glass with ice. Pour in the rum, lime juice and simple syrup. Top off with the ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.
• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.

CHARLESTON CRAB CRACK

Steps:

• For the crabs: Place a large pot of water over medium-high heat outside or indoors. (I like to use a Low Country boil/turkey frying pot.) Add the beer, seafood seasoning and onion and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes to season and allow the flavors to develop.
• For the cocktail sauce: While the water boils, stir together the ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and garlic in a medium bowl. Season with salt if desired.
• Add the crabs to the boiling water. Cook until the crabs are reddish-orange and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the crabs and spread on a table covered with newspaper or butcher paper. Sprinkle with additional seafood seasoning. Serve with melted butter and the cocktail sauce.