Shrimp and Grits go West!

I know many of my friends, and some of my family, choose to give up meat on Fridays for Lent. So, I thought I would share a beautiful recipe for "Sauteed Shrimp with Sweet Potato and Smoked Chile Grits and Green Onion-Cilantro Sauce" from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors From The Southwestern Kitchen. While grits started with humble origins, all the way back to when the Native Americans first shared their grits with Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584, they have become a southern classic and a staple of true American cuisine. However, it was in the lowcountry of South Carolina, and particularly Charleston, that shrimp and grits became a match made in heaven. This was due to the availability and affordability of grits and access to free shrimp in the surrounding channels, waiting to be caught by anyone with a net. (Although, in Charleston, they are probably referred to as "shrimp and hominy" or simply "breakfast shrimp.") South Carolina loves their grits so much that in 1976 it was declared their state food!

If you are unfamiliar with grits versus cornmeal versus polenta, etc., I'll try to help you out. Grits are made by grinding hominy. Hominy is dried maize that has been treated with alkali (lime or wood ash) in order to loosen the hulls from the kernels. When mashed, it is known as masa in Latin cuisine and used for tortillas, tamales, etc. While cornmeal and polenta are made from untreated corn of different grind sizes. Got it?

If you've never eaten or tried to make grits before, this is the recipe for you! The addition of roasted sweet potato, chipotle chile, and honey make them unique and exceedingly delicious. In fact, even if you don't make the whole recipe, the grits alone are worth the effort. However, why not saute some shrimp (it only takes a few minutes) and the green onion sauce (which can be whizzed up in a blender in a matter of minutes and can be made up to 8 hours ahead) is the perfect compliment. The red chile oil is written as "optional," but not in my opinion. It is vibrant and a beautiful touch to a perfect plate. The oil is simply a matter of pureeing toasted guajillo chiles, oil, and salt and then strained. It can also be made a day in advance. Bonus! (Although, in a pinch, I have used store bought chile oil, such as "Mongolian Fire Oil," available at most grocers.) This recipe may not be the traditional shrimp and grits of the south, but it is the southwest that makes it stunningly beautiful and downright exciting!

Sauteed Shrimp with Sweet Potato and Smoked Chile Grits and Green Onion-Cilantro Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Grits

1 large sweet potato

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons chipotle chile puree (I just mince 2 teaspoons chipotle chiles - I like canned San Marcos brand.)

Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2-3 teaspoons honey

For the Shrimp

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

Green Onion-Cilantro Sauce - recipe below

Red Chile Oil - recipe below

Thinly sliced green onion, for garnish

Directions:

For the Grits

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roast the sweet potato on a rack in the oven until tender when pierced with a knife, 45-60 minutes. When done, peel the sweet potato and puree the flesh in a food processor or pass it through a ricer; set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock, milk, chipotle puree, and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato puree and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and honey to taste. Cover and keep warm.

For the Shrimp

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Cook half the shrimp until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and shrimp.

To Serve

Spoon the grits into 4 shallow bowls and arrange the shrimp around the grits. Drizzle with the green onion-cilantro sauce and red chile oil and sprinkle with green onions. 

Green Onion-Cilantro Sauce

Makes about 3/4 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced green onions, white and green parts 

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (don't substitute white vinegar as it is more acidic!)

1/4 cup cold water

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

Directions:

Combine the green onions, cilantro, vinegar, 1/4 cup cold water, the mustard, and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified. Can be made up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated.

Red Chile Oil

Makes about 1 cup - (You may want to halve this recipe!)

Ingredients:

5 guajillo chiles, toasted and seeded (remove the seeds first and with a spatula, press on a hot pan until color changes slightly, flip and toast other side - it only takes a minute)

1 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

Combine the guajillos, oil, and salt in a blender and blend for 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl. This can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Harry Potter's First Birthday Cake!

We just celebrated an 11th birthday at our house, and I could think of no better cake than "Harry's First Birthday Cake: Chocolate Layer Cake," from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, by Dinah Bucholz. After all, Harry received his first birthday cake when he turned eleven. That Aunt Petunia was a real *#%*! Anyway, the instructions for this cake seemed a little laborious, but actually was quite easy to make. To my surprise, this was one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had! Two layers of rich chocolate cake, enveloped in the creamiest chocolate butter-cream frosting, and the final touch of a rich chocolate ganache glaze! A true chocolate-lovers dream!

To manage my time in the kitchen, I made the chocolate cake layers a day in advance, stacked them between parchment, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and refrigerated them overnight. This allowed me to make the frosting, glaze, and icing the next morning. To truly enjoy the creaminess of the butter-cream frosting, this cake is best served at room temperature. One thing to remember, this cake is supposed to look homemade and a little messy; after all, Hagrid made it! So, if you are about to celebrate an 11th birthday, or any birthday for that matter, this is the cake for you!

Here's a look inside:

Harry's First Birthday Cake: Chocolate Layer Cake

Serves 16

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee (I used instant espresso powder.)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze

8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli chips.)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) butter

1/4 cup corn syrup

For the Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 of the above Chocolate Glaze recipe

For the Green Icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon water, or more if needed, to form a paste

Green food coloring

Directions:

For the Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Whisk together the boiling water, cocoa powder, and instant coffee in a measuring cup or small bowl until smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until incorporated and scraping down the sides as needed. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the hot cocoa mixture and beat until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the flour mixture and stir on the slowest speed until combined. Finish by scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and folding it in. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes, until the cakes feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Be careful, as this cake overbakes easily. (I set my timer for 15 minutes, checked it with a toothpick, and it was already done!) Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

For the Chocolate Glaze

Place the chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and corn syrup in a bowl and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cool the glaze until it is thick but still pourable.

For the Chocolate Frosting

Place the butter, confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed, about 7 minutes. Add half of the cooled glaze and beat until combined. If the frosting is too soft to spread, chill for 10 minutes and beat again. Chill another 10 minutes and beat again if necessary.

For the Green Icing

Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to the confectioners' sugar and mix to form a thick paste. (The icing should be as thick as possible, yet smooth enough to be piped onto the cake. If it is too thin, the writing will run.) Work in the food coloring to tint it to the desired shade of green.

To assemble the Cake

Place one layer top-side down on a cardboard round. Spread 3/4 cup of the frosting over the cake and smooth it to the edges. Place the second layer top-side up over the first and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. (At this point, I recommend placing the cake on a cooling rack with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap underneath before adding the glaze.) Pour the remaining glaze over the cake and smooth it to the edges, allowing it to drip unevenly over the sides. (If the glaze is too stiff, warm briefly in the microwave and whisk to distribute the heat evenly. You may need to wait again for the glaze to cool.) If you have any frosting left, use it to pipe a decorative border around the bottom of the cake. Place the icing in a pastry bag fitted with a #3 round (or you can use a sandwich bag with the tip snipped with scissors) and write "Happy Birthday Harry" on top of the cake. (I wrote "Happee Birthdae" because that's how it was in the movie!)

Oh My Darling, Clementine

The holidays are over and my decorations are put away. Sigh. All I'm left with is a plethora of clementines. Clementines are a variety of mandarin orange, specifically a hybrid of the Mediterranean Citrus xdeliciosa and a sweet orange. They are typically seedless, easy to peel, and in season from mid-November to late-January. French born Brother Clement Rodier is credited with creating the variety by cross-pollination in the garden of an Algerian orphanage in 1902. In Latin, the name Clementine (the female form of Clement) means clemency or merciful. It is also the name of the lost love in the American folk song "Oh My Darling, Clementine," the daughter of a miner in the 1849 California Gold Rush. The song credits her tragic demise to a splinter in her toe that causes her to fall and drown. At the end of the song, Clementine's lover quickly forgets her after kissing her little sister. Poor Clementine.

In desperation to use up my ample supply of clementines, I found this exciting recipe for "Winter Salad with Clementine Dressing and Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts" from rachelcooks.com. While Rachel raves about the vanilla bean candied walnuts, I was not immediately excited about the results on their own. That is, however, until I added them to the salad! Fantastic! My family and I love this salad so much that I have been making it over and over to the point that I had to run out and buy more clementines! In addition, the vanilla bean candied walnuts makes enough for three salads, making them well worth the effort. This bright, citrusy recipe is just what you need to get over the post-holiday doldrums. Thanks Rachel!

Winter Salad with Clementine Dressing and Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Dressing

1/4 cup clementine juice (about 2 clementines)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salad

1 head of red leaf lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces (I have been using 1 head of Romaine with great results)

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley (I have been using 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (I have been using 1/4 cup)

3 clementines, peeled, segments separated and cut in half (I have been using 2 clementines)

1/2 cup vanilla bean candied walnuts (recipe follows)

Dressing to taste (there may be extra)

Directions:

For the Dressing

Mix all ingredients together in a jar (shake shake shake!) or a small bowl (whisk whisk whisk!)

For the Salad

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Add dressing and toss immediately before serving.

Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves and/or pieces

The seeds scraped from one whole vanilla bean

Directions:

Toast walnuts in a dry frying an over medium heat stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes or until fragrant. Pour onto plate to cool. Also prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Cook on medium until sugar melts and starts to turn the color of amber. (Once the sugar starts to melt, I began stirring with a metal tea spoon to help prevent burning.) 

The sugar/vanilla bean mixture is done when it looks like this!

Remove from heat, add walnuts and stir to coat. Work quickly.

Pour the walnuts out onto prepared lined baking sheet and separate walnuts with two forks, working quickly. If you don't get them all separated, it's no biggie, you can cut or crack them apart once they cool.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. If you don't eat them all first.

*Note: If you've never dealt with melting sugar, soaking the pot and any used utensils makes cleanup a breeze!