Return to Front Page Sunday, April 11, 2010 articles (index)
Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Shrimp for supper

Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking

Shrimp for supper

It’s springtime in the Lowcountry and that means it’s time to anticipate that first tomato sandwich of the summer with salt, pepper, homemade mayonnaise and – white bread. That is a must. It’s just not a real Southern tomato sandwich without white bread.

Folks around here are resourceful. They “put up” farm fresh tomatoes and use them all winter long in an endless number of ways. Try tomato bisque, stewed tomatoes over rice, gumbos and tomato pies for starters. The same goes for seafood. Just listen to Forest Gump for a synopsis of the many ways shrimp can be fixed.

Shrimp and tomatoes are indigenous foods of which we are very proud. Our Lowcountry cooking has its deepest roots in the soul food of the African-Americans of the South. Many of the dishes served on today’s menus can be traced back to these Gullah natives, descendents of former slaves who live and work on the barrier islands. After “The Wah” Carolinians were too poor to eat much of anything except what the land provided. Their flavorful, hearty cooking is characterized by the use of the abundance of seafood and rice that became their main staples.

The very small shrimp caught in the creeks and inlets are most delicious, but they cannot be found in the markets. Most of the time you have to just catch ‘em yourself or know someone who can. But they sure give the following recipes that extra flavor and distinction you’ll enjoy.

To cook shrimp, wash them thoroughly and boil 4 to 5 minutes in a covered pot, using just enough salted water to cover them. Black pepper, celery, onion, or paprika can be boiled with shrimp for added flavor. As soon as they cool, peel them. To peel a shrimp, any local person will tell you to “pull, peel, pinch” – pull off the heads, peel the shell off the body, and pinch shrimp out of the tail.

One of the most popular combinations is the fabulous Shrimp Creole. This is the first Creole dish I ever sampled decades ago on a visit to Charleston. It has served me well through the years and is based on that of the master of Southern cooking himself, Craig Claiborne. He refers to chopped celery, green pepper, and onion as the “holy trinity” of Creole foods.

Shrimp Creole

1 pound fresh shrimp
3 T. butter
¾ c. coarsely chopped sweet onion
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 sweet green pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups canned tomatoes, preferably Italian peeled tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Tabasco sauce to taste
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Juice of ½ lemon

Shell and devein the shrimp. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy duty saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is wilted and add the celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook briefly while stirring. The vegetables need to remain crisp.
Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, Tabasco, lemon rind, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Add the shrimp and cover. Cook 3 to 5 minutes but no longer. Add the chopped parsley, lemon juice and if you like a little more kick – drop in some extra Tabasco. Serve with rice. Yields: 2 to 4 servings.

Of the many dishes we associate with traditional Southern cooking–beans and greens sautéed in fatback, cornbread, and crispy fried chicken–shrimp and grits has become the hallmark of the Lowcountry. It was in the early 1980s that shrimp and grits first earned a spot on the menu at Beaufort’s Blackstone Café and Blackstone’s became one the first restaurants serving it in South Carolina. Today this dish has emerged from these humble beginnings to become a signature for sophisticated Southern dining. As they say in the South, this is “gooder ‘n grits.”

Shrimp and Grits

1 cup stone ground grits
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (use very fresh)
5 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
J juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 large clove garlic, chopped

Cook the grits and stir in the butter and cheese. Pat the shrimp dry and fry the bacon until browned and crispy. Add shrimp to the pan with the bacon grease and cook until they turn pink. Then add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, onion and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Place grits in a serving bowl and add the shrimp mixture mixing well. Yields: 4 -6 servings.

Related posts:

1. Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Christmas party time hors d’oeuvres
2. Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Enjoy fresh fish in no time at all
3. Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Soup’s On!
4. Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Oysters for the holidays
5. Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Enjoy fresh winter salads

Return to Front Page