Best Fried Grits With Red Pepper Sauce Recipes

GRITS FRITTERS

Steps:

• Using 4 cups of milk and 1 teaspoon salt, prepare grits according to package directions. Remove grits from heat and stir in cheese, bacon, green onions, corn and both peppers. Pour into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 to 24 hours.
• Using your hands, roll grits into 1 1/2-inch balls.
• In a bowl, whisk together eggs and 1/4 cup water.
• Dip balls in egg mixture and then roll in Panko crumbs to coat.
• Pour 2-3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
• Fry fritters in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown on all sides.
• Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm.
• To make Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce, combine pepper jelly, mustard and vinegar in a microwave safe bowl. Stir well. Microwave for 20 seconds or until warm.

GRITS WITH SHRIMP AND ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER

Steps:

• Butter 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop peppers.
• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, green onions, and chopped thyme. Sauté until onions wilt, about 2 minutes. Add grits and stir 1 minute. Whisk in broth and cream. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and grits are thick and tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Whisk in salt, hot pepper sauce, and black pepper. Fold in roasted bell peppers. Spread grits in prepared dish. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Press shrimp, on their sides, onto top of grits in single layer. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until grits are heated through, shrimp are just opaque in center, and cheese begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until peppers are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
• Drain bell pepper mixture. Puree in processor. Blend on vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

CAJUN SNAPPER AND SHRIMP OVER BACON CHEDDAR CHEESE GRITS WITH RED PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• On the stovetop, bring the chicken stock, onion, garlic and wine to a simmer in a saucepan.
• Place the peppers in a roasting pan and roast in the oven, checking every 15 minutes, and turning them with tongs until the skin is fully wrinkled and charred black. When the peppers are done, use tongs to put them in a ziptop bag which (for safety reasons) you have resting on a plate - (Remember, they're volcanically hot!). Carefully zip the bag shut, and allow them to sweat for 5 minutes. Use oven mitts to prevent getting burned while you handle the bag in the next step of sliding the peppers from the bag into a bowl filled with a couple of inches of ice water. You can then use your fingers to work quickly to slip off and discard the skins of the peppers while they are in the water. You will be left with beautifully cooked red peppers with a wonderful color. Remove stem and seeds. Chop the peppers and add them to the simmering chicken stock mixture, and continue simmering until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Create a slurry of cornstarch in a small amount of water and add to the red pepper sauce. Process coulis in a blender until a smooth consistency is achieved. Then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For the grits:
• Bring water for grits to a boil. Add grits and chopped shrimp, reduce heat and cook until grits are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, scallions, tomatoes, cilantro, bacon and cheese, and keep covered in a warm place.
• For the fish:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat both sides of red snapper with salt and pepper and Cajun spice. Then on the stovetop, heat some grapeseed oil in a large nonstick saute pan, and when it begins to shimmer, saute the shrimp only until they turn pink, and then remove shrimp to a utility platter. In the same pan, sear each side of the fish. (When you place the fillet into the pan, leave it undisturbed for a couple of minutes to allow the seasoning to cook into the surface of the fish.) Cook until golden brown, then finish in the oven for a further 2 to 3 minutes and remove it to rest for 5 to 8 minutes. (Please take care to avoid overcooking the fish, as it will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven.)
• Place some of the grits in the middle of serving plate, then position a fish fillet on top, and drizzle the coulis around the fish. Top with a shrimp. Garnish liberally with scallions.

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.