Cajun Shrimp and Andouille "Grits"

Shrimp and grits is a classic southern dish consisting of shrimp that is cooked in a sauce and served over grits. If you are from some unfortunate part of the world where grits are not a staple, then think about Italian polenta - which is almost exactly the same thing. 

With the advent of cold weather it's the perfect time to share this recipe. Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you as it is actually really easy to make and it only takes about a half an hour to throw together. This is one of those recipes that I like to play around with a lot, changing things up, but this version with the andouille (pronounced an-DOO-e) sausage has to be my favorite. The sauce that the shrimp and andouille sausage are served in starts out with a base of onions, celery and pepper (the cajun "trinity") and it is seasoned with garlic, thyme and cajun seasoning before being smoothed out by some cream. 

I've found that I can substitute almond flour for grits quit satisfactorily and while serving the shrimp and andouille over simple buttered "grits" is always nice, I like to add some cheese to the grits and a sharp white cheddar is particularly satisfying. 


Cajun Shrimp and Andouille "Grits" 


2 cups water (or chicken stock) 
1 cup almond flour 
1 tablespoon oil 
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into small pieces 
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning 
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 
1 tablespoon oil 
1 onion, diced 
1/2 green bell pepper, diced 
1/2 red bell pepper, diced 
2 stalks celery, diced 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped 
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning 
1 cup chicken broth 
1 tomato, diced 
salt and pepper to taste 
1/4 cup heavy cream 
3 green onions, sliced 
1 handful parsley, chopped 
2 tablespoon butter 
1 cup cheddar, grated 
salt and pepper to taste 

Bring the water to a boil, stir in the almond flour, reduce the heat and simmer. Add a little more water (or milk/cream) if you need to thin them out. 
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. 
Add the sausage and sear, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. 
Do not remove the oils cooked out of the sausage. I flavors the remaining items. 
Toss the shrimp in the cajun seasoning, add the shrimp to the pan and cook, about 2-3 minutes and set aside. 
Add some oil to the pan, add the onions, peppers and celery and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. 
Add the garlic, thyme and cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant, about a minute. 
Add the broth and tomato and simmer to reduce a bit, about 5 minutes. 
Add the sausage and shrimp, season with salt and pepper, mix in the cream, green onions and parsley and remove from heat. 
Mix the butter and cheddar into the almond "grits" and remove from heat. 
Scoop some "grits" onto the plate, making a well (like you would when adding gravy to mashed potatoes) 
Serve the shrimp and sauce on top. 

Cook's notes: While the deep rich smokey flavor of andouille sausage is preferred, you can substitute a good kielbasa or smoked sausage if you can't find andouille locally.