Growing up in Central Louisiana, my dinner plate didn’t often showcase fresh seafood. Sure – there are great places to find seafood in that part of Louisiana, but it wasn’t as easy as it is here in Cajun Country!
One dish I was always dying to try was Cajun Shrimp and Grits. I love grits. I love shrimp. It seemed like the perfect combination. That was until…I found the Golden Nugget’s Calcasieu Crawfish and Grits recipe. Not only are the grits cheesy – they are also full of bacon and spicy green chilies. These, of course, pair beautifully with Louisiana crawfish tails. Don’t believe me; try it for yourself. Download the recipe card.
*If you have a hard time finding crawfish tails, you can easily substitute shrimp for crawfish.
INGREDIENTS
Crawfish:
- 2 lbs Louisiana Crawfish Tails
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup minced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup minced yellow bell pepper
- ¼ cup minced green bell pepper
- ½ cup minced red onion
- ½ cup minced celery
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups Seafood stock
- ½ cup cream
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- salt and black pepper to taste
Grits:
- 1 cup stone ground grits
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped.
- ½ cup bacon, chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup sliced garlic
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsps canned chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Crawfish:
In a large sauté pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables and sauté 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add flour and stir 3-5 minutes or until slightly golden. Add seafood stock 1 cup at a time stirring until mixture achieves a sauce-like consistency. Blend in cream then bring to a low boil. Add green onions and crawfish tails. Cook 3-5 minutes until crawfish are warmed through and sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Serve a generous portion of sauce and crawfish tails over each portion of grits.
Grits:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Reserve drippings in pan. Add tomatoes, butter and garlic. Sauté until garlic is tender. Mix in water, cream, salt and chilies then bring to a boil. Gradually stir in grits, blending well. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from the heat then blend in cheese until melted.
