Shrimp & Grits (aka Prawns & Polenta) w/ Dashi Butter
As with all seafood, my vote is to buy local. I’ll often buy a double quantity then devein and remove shells (optional) and freeze half for another occasion. Lay the prawns flat on a baking sheet then only once frozen pop them in a plastic bag, labelled of course. This way they’ll be separate rather than frozen in one lump and easier to defrost.
You can fry off onions, spring onions or capsicum prior to cooking the prawns if you feel the need to up your vegie quotient. Alternatively, I like to serve a side of steamed broccolini or a corn, tomato & cucumber salad.
ingredients
- 250g raw deveined prawns
- fine salt
- 20g butter, softened
- ½ tsp instant dashi powder
- 1.5 cup full cream milk
- ⅓ cup coarse ground cornmeal/polenta
- 1 tsp vegetable/chicken stock powder
- 2 tsp olive oil
Sprinkle the prawns with a little salt all over and place on a rack over a plate in the fridge for several hours. This seasons the protein and slightly dries out the exterior.
Blend the butter and instant dashi together and put to one side.
Warm through the milk in a small pan and rain in the cornmeal, stirring all the time. Add stock powder and stir, stir and stir over a low heat for the next 10ish minutes while it thickens. The more you cook it the more it will thicken and you may need to add more liquid. The end result should be creamy but not mushy.
To cook the prawns, add oil to a frypan on a medium high heat. Throw in the prawns and stir them occasionally so they cook evenly all over. It should only take a few minutes. If you’re concerned the pan is a little dry, add a splash of water. Once the prawns are cooked, remove from heat and add dashi butter.
Serve immediately over warm grits.