Brenda’s French Soul Food Shrimp & Grits With Tomato-Bacon Relish Recipe
Brenda’s French Soul Food in San Francisco serves this rich and flavorful Shrimp & Grits topped with a zesty tomato-bacon relish, blending Southern comfort with a Creole twist. Make Straight-from-the-Restaurant Recipe for San Francisco Favorite, Brenda’s French Soul Food Shrimp & Grits with Tomato-Bacon Relish Recipe at home and your Shrimp & Grits will taste just like Brenda’s.
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
Tomato-Bacon Relish
- 1/4 pound smoked Bacon cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/4 medium Red Onion finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 teaspoons minced Garlic
- 1 cup diced Tomatoes with some juice reserved
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Louisiana-Style Hot Sauce (such as Tabasco or Crystal) or to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dark Brown Sugar or to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar or to taste
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
Grits
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Yellow Grits (Bob’s Red Mill preferred by Brenda's...And SCRR, for that matter)
Shrimp
- 1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese about 2 ounces
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil
- 2 teaspoons minced Garlic
- 1 pound large Shrimp (26 to 30 count) peeled and deveined, tails on or remove, your choice
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- Cayenne Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted Butter softened
- Thinly sliced Green Onion for garnish
Instructions
Tomato-Bacon Relish
- Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook until crispy and the fat renders.
- Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside.
- Drain the skillet, discarding excess fat and wiping away any burned bits. Do not wash.
- Place skillet back over heat and add olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion reaches a medium brown color, about 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, hot sauce, brown sugar and Sherry vinegar. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cook briefly until slightly thickened.
- Stir in reserved bacon, and season with salt and pepper.
- Can be done in advance. Store in a tightly sealed container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use. Bring up to room temperature before using.
Grits
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place a medium saucepan over medium -high heat. Add 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in grits. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits are soft and spoonable, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Shrimp and Assembly
- Portion hot grits into four large, oven-proof bowls.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over each.
- Place in preheated oven. Heat for 3 to 5 minutes to melt cheese. Remove from oven and keep warm.
- Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add canola oil.
- Add garlic and sauté briefly until golden.
- Add shrimp, seasoning with salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste. Cook just until shrimp edges turn pink.
- Add wine to deglaze pan and cook until liquid reduces by half.
- Stir in prepared Tomato-Bacon Relish and butter and cook for another minute until the sauce thickens and shrimp are cooked through.
- Divide shrimp and sauce among the bowls.
- Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.