INSTANT POT SHRIMP & GRITS

INSTANT POT SHRIMP & GRITS

15 April 2020: I searched for a shrimp & grits Instant Pot recipe and found several online. After reading through the recipes, I chose this one to make:

https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/best-instant-pot-shrimp-and-grits/?fbclid=IwAR0ULt_PvvLFyrEpoxs5PdUrlPLEOHOQR1nk5-_9PpN5bqT9Tb31u9JyfT0

Prep Time: 5 minutes   

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 2 servings 

Calories: 292 kcal

Shrimp Ingredients

1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined

2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning or more to taste (or Creole Seasoning)

3 strips smoked bacon diced

1/3 cup onion chopped

1/2 cup bell peppers red and/or green, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

2 Tbsp dry white wine

1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp lemon juice or to taste

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce or hot sauce, more to taste

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup scallions sliced thin (green parts only)

Grits Ingredients

1/2 cup  grits

1 cup milk

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp butter, optional

Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Set aside.

On 'Saute' mode, cook bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate and set aside.

Sauté onions and bell peppers in the rendered bacon fat till onion is translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté briefly. Turn Instant Pot off.

Deglaze with white wine, and stir well to remove any browned bits, allowing the wine to mostly evaporate.

Stir in tomatoes, lemon juice, chicken broth, hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Place trivet in the Instant Pot.

In a medium bowl that will fit in the Instant Pot, stir together grits, milk, water, salt and pepper. Place bowl on trivet.

Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.

Cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') mode for 10 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Open the Instant Pot, remove the grits and set aside.

Remove the trivet.

Carefully stir in shrimp and close the Instant Pot immediately and allow the shrimp to finish cooking in the residual heat.  Instant Pot will be in 'Keep Warm' mode.

While shrimp is cooking, fluff grits with a fork, adding in a tablespoon of butter.

After 10 minutes, open the Instant Pot. Gently stir the shrimp.

Turn on 'Saute' mode and stir in cream. Heat through (don't boil) and turn off Instant Pot.

Serve grits topped with shrimp and sauce.

Garnish with scallions and bacon.

My Comments: 

The recipe stated it serves four, but this really serves two people with some grits leftover. 

I used the large Costco shrimp (10) and they could have cooked a few minutes longer. I turned the shrimp over and they finished cooking while I was stirring in the cream.

I was worried about the size of the bowl for the grits thinking it would overflow, but it didn't.

I added a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan cheese (didn't have cheddar) into the grits, but it really wasn't needed because of the tomato broth. 

This was excellent and definitely a keeper.

The next time I will make it with Andouille sausage instead of bacon.