Winter Shrimp & Grits

We are but days away from Christmas.  

At this point, every young heart is fluttering and tiny hands are itching to begin tearing, untying, and discarding all of that lovely gilded paper we adults have so carefully secured. 

If I may, I would like to commandeer your Christmas Eve and insist that you make these shrimp and grits for you and your family this year.  Throw tradition to the winter wind for a moment and embrace the pinnacle of neoclassic southern flavor.

While shrimp and grits are not the most conventional of holiday foods, the flavors here are full of festive charm.  

Creamy grits, thick with gruyere and heavy cream are the bed for tender, garlic-kissed shrimp.

In my mind, this is the ideal pre-Christmas dinner.  Preparation time is at a minimum, and the flavors are rich and comforting - the perfect prefix to your long winter’s nap. 

My mama always made us the most wonderful Christmas breakfasts.  One in particular reigns in my mind, because that was the first year that she brought home a strange and unusual fruit.  She called it a pomegranate, and explained that we were only to eat the “seeds” of this exotic treasure trove.  

From the pink, leathery skin, flowed out hundreds of gem-like arils that we ate with vigor and enthusiasm.

Ever since that moment, that early, Christmas-morning moment, I have been a faithful lover of the otherworldly fruit and its singular texture and flavor.  It tops my morning yogurt, studs my salads, and this year, it is bringing an acidic punch and welcome crunch to shrimp and grits. 

I sometimes wonder if I would still love pistachios as much if not for their bright, chartreuse hue. 

These near-neon nuts combine with the sharp pomegranate arils to make a veritable Christmas wreath atop our shrimp and grits. 

You will not find any cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, or thyme here, but this dish is every kind of comforting.  

I made this dish last week, and as the shrimp were sizzling away on my stove I stood over the pot of grits with a very large spoon and ate them straight from the pot.  Gruyere has a way of making everything irresistible. Heavy cream doesn’t hurt one bit either. 

Come on, let’s get on this cheese-fueled bandwagon together. 

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

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Winter Shrimp & Grits

serves 4

for the shrimp

• 1 lb fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined) 
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1/3 cup white wine

In a large, nonstick frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes; until fragrant and just slightly browned. 

Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, until their color has started to develop, then add the wine.

Simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes, until their color is full and they are just firm to the touch. The edges of the shrimp should not wrinkle up - that is a sign of over-cooking!

Remove from heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the grits. 

for the grits

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1 cup yellow corn grits or polenta 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1 1/4 cups grated gruyere 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup roasted, salted pistachios 
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils 

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and chicken broth and place over medium high heat.  Bring the mixture just to a boil then reduce heat to medium and add grits.  

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a porridge consistency; about 2 minutes. 

Remove the grits from the heat and stir in butter and heavy whipping cream.  Fold in gruyere, salt, and pepper. 

Place a heavy spoonful of the hot grits into four bowls and top with the prepared shrimp.  Ladle any cooking liquid left from the shrimp over the bowl.  Sprinkle with pomegranate arils and pistachios.  Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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Quick Peach Frozen Yogurt

When was the last time you had frozen yogurt that actually tasted like, you know, yogurt?

For me, it had been a while.

I have a tendency to fill my styrofoam cups with the frozen yogurt whose character has been entirely masked by flavors that have more of a five-year-old appeal, such as cake batter.  I also have a tendency to then cover my adulterated yogurt in at least twice as many rainbow sprinkles as would be reasonable.  Oops...they spilled? 

While cake batter has its place, on hot summer afternoons a tangy, barely sweetened fro-yo cannot be beat. 

This frozen yogurt is so straightforward that you really have no excuse not to treat yourself.  It all comes together in a matter of minutes with the help of your food processor. 

I blanched and sliced 10-12 peaches a couple weeks ago and tucked them away in the freezer for just such an occasion. Using fruit that I froze myself always feels so satisfying. 

The peaches are followed by thick, greek yogurt, and several spoonfuls of honey. 

In a couple of minutes we have frozen yogurt.  

Why, why, WHY, have I not been doing this my whole life?!

I take no credit for this genius, it is purely a copycat move.  I saw Joy the Baker make a lemon-strawberry rendition several weeks ago on SnapChat and decided that it would be the perfect use for my frozen peach slices. 

The tanginess of the yogurt is so refreshing alongside the sweet peaches. 

While you could certainly freeze this yogurt for future enjoyment, it will become rock solid very quickly.  Because it has not been churned at all and has very little air, it loses it's soft texture and becomes icy in the freezer.  This fro-yo is best when enjoyed in its soft-serve state.  That's no problem in my world because I happen to be a big fan of instant gratification. 

If you would like a serving for one, feel free to half or quarter the recipe. 

So now we know how to make instant fro-yo... You may decide whether that is a blessing or a curse.

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Quick Peach Frozen Yogurt

serves 4

- 4 medium, ripe peaches - peeled, sliced, and frozen (about 4 cups)

- 1 cup unsweetened greek yogurt 

- 1/4 cup honey*

Place frozen peaches, yogurt, and honey in the work bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Serve immediately.  

Yes, it’s really that simple.  

*You can adjust the amount of honey based on your taste.  1/4 cup left it on the tangy side. 

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Truffle & Brie Macaroni and Cheese with Lobster Tail

I know I am an incurably fickle lady, and that my stance on this subject will likely change a million times over, but right now, at this moment, if I had but one meal left to eat on this earth, it would be this gloriously-creamy macaroni and cheese.  With a side of seared scallops, of course. 

Several weeks ago I had the best sandwich of my life.  Carbs covered in cheese and stuffed inside more carbs.  We were star-crossed from the start. 

Though the idea of a pasta sandwich immediately enthralled me, there were so many ways to go wrong.  But that sandwich, that life-changing sandwich danced around every possible error and glided past the finish line of perfection.  If it is possible to fall in love with two slices of bread, that definitely happened to me. 

You may remember the time where my sweetheart and I set out to discover the very best macaroni and cheese, and I still LOVE the recipe that we declared to be our favorite.  However, when I tried that macaroni and cheese, at a tiny little bistro, I suddenly realized that our macaroni and cheese needed the "something extra" that was taking their version past wonderful and into the realm of culinary perfection. 

The secret was and is truffle oil.  

And...now I am obsessed. 

If you see me snapchatting truffle oil-enchanced cereal please call for help.  

I know I am getting so many eye rolls for this, and I know a huge percentage of chefs would throw that little bottle right into the trash.  But darn it, I love what truffle oil can bring to the table when it is used reservedly. 

That counts double when you are using it with cheese.  Truffle oil almost has the flavor of a very strong rind from an aged cheese.  It's earthy, potent, and slightly musty - but not in a grandmother's basement kind of way.  It just lifts the already wonderful flavors of your cheeses to the next level. 

The base of this recipe is identical to my original macaroni and cheese, except that this is the stovetop version, which translates to super creamy. 

Oh, how do I love brie?  Let me count the wheys.  HA!  Haha!  

My dad is laughing right now.  We might be the only ones, but that's okay. 

Like all things that are smooth and creamy, this cheese sauce begins with a roux.  

You remember how to make a roux, right?  Butter is melted, flour is whisked in, and then they cuddle together in the hot pan for a bit, until the raw flour flavor has cooked off.  Whole milk is slowly whisked in and then seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  After the sauce has thickened, the shredded gruyere and cubed brie are stirred in.  

Because this macaroni and cheese did not already seem indulgent enough, I added lobster tails.  

I steamed my lobster tails, and then soaked them in a mixture of rich, French butter, and reduced Sauvignon Blanc. 

The lobster turned into buttery, wine-soaked pillows.

Oh if you only knew the torture of knowing how wonderful this dish is, and having to stare at these pictures, but not being able to eat it.

I used a large, ridged macaroni for this dish and I preferred it so much over the standard elbow variety for soaking up this glorious cheese sauce. 

Dear Santa, I'd like a hot tub full of this macaroni and cheese, please.  

Ahhhh, I died. 

I used two, good sized lobster tails for this recipe, and it was enough.  Of course, is there ever really enough lobster?  Um, no.  

Next time, I might opt for four tails.  Why not?

Did anything ever look more sumptuous?

I am already planning to make this for our first wedding anniversary.  What's better than celebrating one love affair with another?

Not a single thing.

I should probably just stop blogging now, there's no way it will get better than this.

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Truffle & Brie Macaroni and Cheese with Lobster Tail

serves 8

for the lobster

- 10 ounces lobster tail meat (2 medium-sized tails)

- 1/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc 

- 2 tablespoons salted european butter 

Prepare your lobster by cutting through the top part of its shell (the smooth, curved side) with a sturdy pair of kitchen shears.  Cut a slit down the center, starting at the top of the tail, and stopping when you get to the fanned part of the tail. 

Fill a sauté pan with about 1/4-inch water.  In my pan, that was three cups of water.  

Place the pan over medium-heat heat and bring to a simmer.  Add lobster tails and reduce heat to medium.  Cook, covered, for 8 minutes. 

Remove the tails from the water and allow to cool before removing the shells.

Cut the meat into 1/4-inch cubes.  

In a small frying pan, slightly reduce 1/4 cup of Sauvignon Blanc over medium-high heat.  After about 3-4 minutes of heavy simmering, reduce the heat to low and stir in butter.  Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and toss the chopped lobster in the sauce.  

for the macaroni & cheese

- 1 pound dry macaroni 

- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon fine salt 

- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

- freshly ground black pepper 

- 3 cups whole milk 

- 8 ounces double or triple cream brie, cut into cubes and rind removed 

- 1 1/2 cups gruyere, grated 

- 1/2 teaspoon quality black truffle oil

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook your macaroni for about 10 minutes, until it is just al dente.  While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce.  

Heat whole milk until warm.  

In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle in flour whisk to form a roux.  Cook, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes.  When the roux has become slightly golden, add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  While continuing to whisk constantly, slowly stream in warmed milk.  

Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, until thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in brie and grated gruyere.  When all the cheese has melted, taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.  Stir in truffle oil. 

Add your strained, cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce.  Toss in the lobster, along with its cooking liquid and serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

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