Shrimp & Grits

SOURCE: Adpted from recipe in the September 2010 issue of Food and Wine Magazine (in stands now). I changed a few things but its mostly the same. I can see this pairing nicely with Prosecco for a yumm brunch dish or a Chardonnay for a nice dinner. The Prosecco Spago Nero is only $11 at whole foods and is the best Prosecco for the value.

So first of all I love the idea of Shrimp and Grits because it is such a traditional Southern favorite and personally one of mine too. But more importantly, I wanted to try a new ingredient 'smoked paprika'-- I've seen so many chefs using it on the food network and this past weekend, I decided to buy it so I could try it. Also important to use a good fresh cheese -- the white cheddar worked well.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup grits

Shrimp 1 lb (peeled, deveined; I leave a few with tail on for the flavor)

Couple handfuls of baby spinach

Garlic cloves - 3 sliced thin and flat

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 -2 tsp chilli powder

1/4 cup white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc)

Grated Cheese - Fontina (soft cooking cheese) or Sharp white cheddar (I used a mix of the two)

1) Boil 3 cups of water. Add salt and olive oil. Stir in the grits slowly. Cook on low heat for 7 minutes. Be careful while you cook the grits because they have a tendency to splatter. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the shredded cheese and baby spinach. Cover and keep warm so that they don't solidify. Optional -- add cream cheese to achieve more of a creamy texture and chives is available.

2) In a bowl marinate shrimp with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and little olive oil for about 5 minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil. Sautee sliced garlic. When you smell the garlic, add the shrimp. Using tongs, turn and cook until they are pink. Add the wine and cook till alcohol evaporates (sauce is thick).

3) Spoon grits onto a plate or bowl. Top with shrimp. Serve. Enjoy.