Grits and Corn Sauté with Carolina Sweet Shrimp

6 servings
Note: This recipe contains four components, so make sure to read through all of them before cooking, to make sure you time them correctly for serving. Make sure to prepare the shrimp just before serving. The grits and the corn sauté can keep warm while you work on the other components.

Grits
Note: The recipe calls for twice as much milk as heavy cream. When Gottlieb prepared this dish for travel writers, he reversed the recipe. I prefer grits prepared with more milk than cream.

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup white stone-ground grits
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1 dash Tabasco sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil. Using a whisk, slowly add the grits and continue to stir. Reduce heat to a simmer. When grits thicken and become tender, about 30 to 45 minutes, add the butter and mascarpone cheese. Add Tabasco sauce and adjust seasoning if needed.

Corn Cream
1 cup yellow corn
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine corn, cream and chicken stock. Cook on medium heat until the liquid begins to thicken and the corn is vibrant yellow and tender. Place in a blender and puree until smooth, the adjust seasoning. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, and reserve. You may need to add more chicken stock to adjust the Corn Cream consistency.

Corn Sauté
Two strips bacon, cut into ¼ dice
2 cups yellow corn
¼ cup diced red and green peppers
¼ cup chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped chives (optional)

In a large sauté pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and excess fat, leaving ½ tablespoon of bacon grease.
Add the peppers, corn and bacon and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add chicken stock and heavy cream and continue to cook until liquid has formed a tight sauce around the corn (there should be very little liquid in the pan).
Season with salt and pepper and add chopped thyme and parsley. Keep warm.

Carolina Sweet Shrimp
2 tablespoons clarified butter or vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and split in half lengthwise
½ clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat clarified butter or vegetable oil in a large sauté pan until the fat begins to smoke. Remove pan from heat source and add the shrimp. Return to medium-high heat, add the garlic and cook until the shrimp turn pink.

To serve: Place about a half-cup of grits in the center of a plate or large bowl. Form a well in the grits and place about 3 tablespoons of the Corn Sauté in it. Place five cooked shrimp halves on top of the corn sauté. Drizzle with Corn Cream. Top with chives, if desired.