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Cauliflower Rice and Fresh Corn Cheesy “Grits” with Bourbon Barbecued Shrimp

This recipe is totally amazing. How could cauliflower rice become creamy cheesy grits? Well you are about to find out.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

For the Shrimp and Barbecue Sauce:

  • 1 pound thawed, peeled and deveined shrimp dried well and put on skewers
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon each chili powder, ground coriander, sugar and salt
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray’s
  • 1 ½ tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon butter

For the Cauliflower Rice and Fresh Corn “Grits”

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
  • 4 cups Progresso chicken stock or other high quality brand or substitute vegetable stock, divided
  • 1 ½ cups white cornmeal
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 head cauliflower florets processed in the food processor, about 5 cups
  • 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
  • 1 cup heavy cream, divided
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

For the Shrimp and Barbecue Sauce:

  1. Coat the shrimp with the olive oil.
  2. In a small dish, combine the seasonings and sprinkle over the shrimp.
  3. Refrigerate while you make the “Grits”.

  4. In a medium size heatproof bowl, microwave the barbecue sauce, bourbon and honey for one minute. Stir in the butter until melted and set aside.

  5. Preheat the grill on a high heat for the shrimp after you add the cauliflower rice to the grits mixture (see below).

For the Cauliflower Rice and Fresh Corn Cheesy “Grits”

  1. In a large and very heavy saucepan (like Calphalon) over medium heat, heat the olive oil and quickly sauté the garlic. Do not let it brown.
  2. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock, raise the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
  3. Lower the heat to medium.
  4. Combine the remaining one cup of stock with the white cornmeal and salt and mix into a smooth slurry.
  5. Add the cornmeal all at once to the stock and whisk until it is well combined. Lower the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot. You will have to stir the mixture every 5 minutes and watch it so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
  6. After 15 minutes add the cauliflower in batches and stir until it is well combined with the cornmeal. The mixture will be very stiff but just keep stirring.
  7. Cook the mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the cauliflower starts to soften, about 10 minutes.
  8. Add the corn to the cauliflower and grits mixture all at once and stir until combined. Keep stirring for another 5-8 minutes until the corn is cooked but not mushy.
  9. Put the shrimp on the grill.
  10. Stir ½ cup of the cream into the cauliflower grits mixture. Add the butter and cheese and turn the shrimp over to finish cooking them. They will take no longer than 5 minutes to cook both sides.
  11. Heat the barbecue sauce in the microwave for one minute.
  12. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and put in the bowl with the barbecue sauce. Mix well and set aside.
  13. Turn the saucepan to a low heat and add the last ½ cup cream to the cauliflower grits mixture along with the cheese, stirring constantly. When the cheese is melted the cauliflower grits are done.
  14. Put a large spoonful of cauliflower grits on a plate, arrange a few shrimp with barbecue sauce in the middle and garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro.