Description
Crispy Shrimp & Grits with Crab Cream Sauce will make your dinner guests swoon with Southern coastal charm. Creamy grits, golden crispy shrimp, and rich crab sauce blend into a spectacular plate that feels like a Charleston restaurant right at your table.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood:
- 1 pound shrimp
- ½ cup lump crab meat
Grits Base:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Coating and Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup seafood stock
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
- Boil 4 cups chicken broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk 1 cup of grits into the boiling liquid, reducing heat to low.
- Stir grits constantly for 20 minutes until thick and tender. Incorporate 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup sharp cheddar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Mix grits until smooth and creamy. Maintain on low heat while preparing remaining components.
- Pour 1 cup buttermilk over 1 pound shrimp in a bowl. Allow shrimp to soak for 10 minutes.
- Combine 1 cup flour, ½ cup cornmeal, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a separate bowl.
- Heat vegetable oil to 350F in a deep skillet. Drain shrimp from buttermilk, letting excess liquid drip off.
- Coat each shrimp in flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure even coverage. Press firmly to help breading adhere.
- Fry shrimp in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 minced shallot and 2 minced garlic cloves, cooking until softened.
- Pour 1 cup heavy cream and ½ cup seafood stock into the pan. Stir in ½ teaspoon Old Bay and ¼ teaspoon cayenne.
- Simmer sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently fold in ½ cup lump crab meat and cook for 2 additional minutes.
- Remove sauce from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley.
- Spoon creamy grits onto serving plates. Arrange crispy shrimp evenly over grits.
- Drizzle warm crab cream sauce generously over shrimp. Garnish with extra parsley or fresh lemon juice.
Notes
- Always soak shrimp in buttermilk to ensure tenderness and help the crispy coating stick better.
- Use a deep-fry thermometer to maintain consistent oil temperature around 350F for perfectly crispy shrimp without burning.
- When making grits, whisk constantly and reduce heat to low to prevent lumps and achieve a smooth, creamy texture.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with rice flour or gluten-free cornmeal blend in the shrimp coating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 52 minutes
- Category: Shrimp
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg