How To Make Shrimp and Grits with Corn 5 Ways

Count ’em: Escoffier Chef Luke Shaffer works corn into this shrimp and grits FIVE different ways, as featured in our Sweet. Savory. Seasonal. video series.

A regional dish rooted in Southern coastal cuisine, shrimp and grits brings together tender, flavorful (head-on) shrimp — you’ll need to watch the video to understand — and rich, creamy grits for a dish that’s both comforting and satisfying. In classic Chef Luke style, he puts a personal spin on this Southern comfort food favorite.

Shrimp & Grits

Yield: 4 servings

Chef Luke’s Game Plan

1. Prep ingredients: Cut kernels from 1 cob; reserve kernels and cob separately. Peel/devein shrimp; reserve heads and shells.
2. Start the grits: Simmer water, milk, and grits.
3. Build the sauce: Render andouille, roast shrimp heads/shells, and simmer stock with corn cob and aromatics.
4. Prep riblets: Cut, season with blackening spice, and roast.
5. Strain sauce & poach corn: Strain sauce solids, return sauce to pan with andouille, and gently poach sweet corn kernels.
6. Finish grits: Fold poached corn kernels and butter into grits.
7. Make cornbread: Mix 3-ingredient dough and fry until golden.
8. Blackened shrimp: Sear last to keep tender.
9. Assemble and serve immediately.

Stone-Ground Grits

Ingredients

• 1 cup (170 g) stone-ground grits
• 2 cups (475 g )water
• 2 cups (475 g) whole milk
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
• 2 oz (55 g) sharp white cheddar, finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Reserved poached corn kernels from the sauce, about 1 cup

Directions

1. Bring the water, milk, and salt to a gentle simmer in a heavy saucepan.
2. Whisk in the grits slowly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and creamy, about 30–40 minutes or according to the package directions.
3. Stir in the butter and cheddar, then fold in the warm corn kernels poached in the sauce. Adjust the consistency with a splash of water or milk if needed. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. Hold warm over very low heat. The finished grits should be loose enough to spread naturally on the plate rather than stand in a stiff mound.

Shrimp-Head & Andouille Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) head-on large shrimp
• 8 oz (225 g) andouille sausage, small dice
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, as needed
• ½ small yellow onion, small dice
• ½ green bell pepper, small dice
• 1 celery rib, small dice
• 1 jalapeño, small dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1½ tsp blackening spice, divided (your favorite store bought blend works great)
• ¼ cup (60 g) dry white wine
• 2 cups (475 g) chicken or seafood stock
• 1 reserved corn cob, kernels removed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs thyme
• ½ cup (120 g) heavy cream
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1–2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp (30 g) cold unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and hot sauce, to taste

Directions

1. Remove the heads and shells from the shrimp, leaving the tails on if desired. Devein the shrimp and refrigerate. Reserve the heads and shells.
2. Brown the andouille in a saucepan over medium heat until it renders its fat and develops good color. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve for garnish.
3. Add a small amount of neutral oil if the pan is dry. Add the shrimp heads and shells and cook, crushing the heads with a spoon, until deeply aromatic and orange-red.
4. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and jalapeño. Cook until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon blackening seasoning and cook until the paste darkens slightly.
5. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by about half. Add stock, the reserved corn cob, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes so the cob contributes fresh corn flavor to the sauce.
6. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing firmly on the solids. Discard the cob and other solids. Return the liquid to a clean saucepan and reduce until flavorful and lightly thickened.
7. Add the cream and Worcestershire. Add the reserved fresh corn kernels and gently poach them in the sauce until just tender, about 2–3 minutes. Remove the kernels with a slotted spoon and reserve them for the grits. Continue simmering the sauce until it lightly coats a spoon.
8. Finish with lemon juice and cold butter. Adjust salt, blackening spice, and hot sauce. Keep warm without boiling.

Blackened Corn Riblets

Ingredients

• 3 large ears fresh corn, husked (1 for kernels and cob; 2 for corn ribs)
• 1½ tbsp (22 g) neutral oil
• 1 tsp blackening spice
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. From 1 ear of corn, cut the kernels from the cob and reserve both separately. The cob will flavor the sauce, and the kernels will be poached in the finished sauce and folded into the grits. Cut each of the remaining 2 ears crosswise in half. Stand each piece upright on a stable cutting board and carefully cut through the cob lengthwise into quarters to create 8 corn riblets.
3. Toss riblets with oil, blackening spice, and salt.
4. Roast for 18–22 minutes, turning once, or cook in a hot cast-iron pan until tender and deeply charred in spots.
5. Remove riblets from the oven and hold warm until service.

Hot-Water Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150 g) fine or medium yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¾–1 cup (180–240 g) boiling water, as needed
• Neutral oil, for shallow frying

Directions

1. Combine cornmeal, and salt in a bowl.
2. Add boiling water gradually until a thick, scoopable dough forms. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Shape into small oval cakes, about 2 tablespoons each.
4. Heat ¼ inch of neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until crisp and deeply golden, about 2–3 minutes per side.
5. Drain on a rack or paper towel-lined tray and season lightly with salt. Serve hot.

Blackened Shrimp

Ingredients

• Reserved peeled shrimp from above
• ½ tsp blackening spice, plus more if needed
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter
• ½ lemon or lime

Directions

1. Pat the shrimp very dry and season with blackening seasoning.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil, followed by the shrimp in a single layer.
3. Sear until well browned, about 60–90 seconds. Turn, add butter, and cook just until opaque and curled, another 60–90 seconds depending on size.
4. Finish with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Serve immediately.

Assembly

1. Spoon a generous pool of creamy grits into each shallow bowl.
2. Arrange the blackened shrimp over the grits and spoon the andouille and shrimp-head sauce around and partially over the shrimp.
3. Position 1–2 corn riblets against the grits for height and visible char.
4. Add one small hot-water cornbread cake to each plate, keeping it out of the sauce so it stays crisp.
5. Finish with a small amount of sliced scallion or fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

Chef Luke’s Notes

• The shrimp-head sauce is the main flavor bridge between the shrimp and grits; extract the heads aggressively before straining.
• Keep the grits slightly looser than final serving consistency while holding—they will continue to tighten.
• Add lime to the corn only after charring so the acid stays bright.
• The hot-water cornbread should be small enough to function as a crisp accent rather than a second starch centerpiece.
• Cook the shrimp at the last possible moment; everything else can be ready and holding before they hit the pan.
• Using the stripped corn cob in the sauce reinforces the corn flavor without adding sweetness; poaching the fresh kernels in that sauce ties the corn directly into the grits.

Whether your the on the sweet or savory team, we’ve got some additional culinary tips for you.  Take a look!

• Cream puff recipe when live
• How to Make the 5 Mother Sauces
• How to Make the Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich