If you're craving some comfort food, a special soul food treat may be just what you need. Celebrity chef and author Carla Hall shares a delicious recipe for some home made shrimp and grits with fennel potlikker.
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups (or more) fennel potlikker, divided
1 cup stone-ground or regular yellow grits, rinsed, drained
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons. Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped fennel stems
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 plum tomatoes, cored, finely chopped
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fennel fronds
Directions:
1. Combine 2 cups potlikker and 2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; whisk in grits.
2. Set pan over medium-heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add bay leaf and 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt.
3. Cook, whisking often, until grits are thick and creamy, 40-45 minutes if using stone-ground grits or 20-25 minutes if using regular grits.
4. Stir in 1 teaspoon pepper and season with salt. Remove and discard bay leaf. Cover pan and keep grits warm over very low heat, whisking occasionally.
5. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper.
6. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, add shrimp to skillet and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to plate.
7. Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel stems to skillet; cook, stirring often, until starting to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.
8. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
9. Add tomatoes and remaining ½ cup potlikker. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes have fallen apart, about five minutes.
10. Return shrimp to skillet and cook until opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper; remove skillet from heat.
11. If grits have stiffened, loosen with a little more potlikker or water before dividing among bowls. Top with shrimp and sauce. Scatter fennel fronds over.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large fennel bulb, cut into eight wedges
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
2 tablespoons Pernod
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, celery and salt; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add Pernod and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until Pernod is evaporated, about 1 minute. Pour in 5 cups water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl; discard solids.
Potlikker can be made five days ahead. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to three months.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups fennel potlikker
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
½ cup mint leaves
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
2. Cook asparagus, stirring often, until softened and bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and add barley to pot. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
3. Add potlikker and 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1 ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt; bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until barley is tender and doubled in size and liquid is absorbed, 25-30 minutes.
5. Uncover pot and stir in peas. Cook until peas are tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and reserved asparagus; season with salt and pepper.
6. Divide barley among bowls. Top with lemon zest and mint.