Okay… it’s Polenta, not Grits, but you get the idea. A food by any other name would taste as sweet – with apologies to Mr Shakespeare.
Grits and polenta are different – grits are made with dent corn and polenta is made from flint corn. Grits tend to be creamier, polenta tends to have a bit more bite and a more pronounced corn flavor. But, in our house, they are pretty much interchangeable. Aren’t you glad you asked?!?
This was a rather easy throw-together – the shrimp only take a few minutes after being added to the sauce..
Italian Shrimp
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 small endive, chopped
- 1 can plum tomatoes in juice
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp golden raisins currants
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 cup dry marsala
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp chile flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb shrimp, pealed and de veined
- S&P, to taste
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and endive and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins, capers, marsala, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the shrimp. Cover, set over low heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over polenta.
Polenta – and grits – are a basic 4:1 ratio of liquid to product. Bring liquid to a boil, slowly add the corn, stir and cook until done.
Once upon a time, I always made them with whole milk, butter, and a ton of cheese. Today, I use water and add a bit of butter and some shredded or grated cheese at the end.
And I haven’t forgotten about Cooking A-Z. “M” will be coming up this week, I think. We’ve just been busy with other stuff, but it’s time to get back on track!
Stay tuned…..