If you love the shrimp and grits, you’ll love my spin on a classic southern comfort food recipes of Rock Shrimp with Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Grits. This small batch dinner for 2 is made in 30 minutes.
Since living in the south for 15+ years I’ve learned to love shrimp and grits. Really, I’ve embraced all the southern cuisine; fried green tomatoes, boiled peanuts, sweet tea… I love it all! And I’m so glad my husband has done the same. I love that I can make shrimp and grits for dinner and he’s happy! It’s my easy go-to meal!
The other day, while doing my weekly grocery shopping, I saw rock shrimp at the seafood counter. Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with rock shrimp… They come from right here in Florida (specifically Cape Canaveral), and are only available for a few months of the year. Rock shrimp are truly a delicacy.
Ingredients
- Grits – Preferably quick cooking grits
- Dairy – Milk, heavy cream, butter, cheddar cheese, and feta
- Water
- Louisiana style hot sauce
- Seasonings – Greek seasoning, salt, oregano, and fresh parsley
- Grapeseed oil
- Vegetables – onion, garlic minced, and plum tomatoes
- White wine
- Rock Shrimp – peeled and de-veined
Directions
For the Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Grits:
- In a large pot bring the milk and water to a boil. Turn the heat off and add in the hot sauce, Greek seasoning and salt. Mix well then stir in the grits. Mix well and place a lid on the pot.
- Place the grits on low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the grits have absorbed all the liquid and they are soft, stir in the heavy cream. Then stir in the cheddar cheese and the feta. Mix well, place lid on grits and set to the side.
For the Rock Shrimp:
- While grits are cooking, In a saute pan, combine grapeseed oil and butter. Melt on high then add in the onions and garlic.
- Reduce heat to medium, sauté for 2 minutes then add the diced tomatoes, Greek seasoning, hot sauce, and oregano. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet. Give one good stir and then place the rock shrimp into the skillet. Stir again, place lid on the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.
- Once shrimp are cooked assemble dinner. Divide the grits evenly among the two plates then divide the shrimp among the two bowls. Top with additional crumbled feta and parsley.
FAQs
Rock shrimp are larger then traditional shrimp. Their tails are sometimes even mistaken for small lobster tails and they have the same coloring. They also taste very similar to lobster. Tiger shrimp usually have bluish-gray or black stripes when raw and turn pink in color once cooked. They have a much milder taste then rock shrimp.
According to NOAA FishWatch.gov “Brown rock shrimp is the deep-water cousin of the common pink, white, and brown shrimp also found in the warm waters of the southeastern United States. It is the largest of six rock shrimp species found in this area.
Rock shrimp are often called the “little shrimp with a big lobster taste.” They can easily be mistaken for a miniature lobster tail, and the texture of their meat also is similar to lobster.
Most of the United States harvest comes from the east coast of Florida (mainly off the Cape Canaveral area). The season is typically between November through January.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks when making Florida rock shrimp and grits.
- Feta – If you can’t find the tomato basil feta you can use regular feta.
- Shrimp – If you can not find rock shrimp you can use medium-pink shrimp with the shells and tails off.
- Bacon – If you have bacon on hand you can fry 1-2 peices prior to cooking the garlic and onions. Then chop the crispy bacon up and sprinkle on top of the shrimp and grits.
Shrimp Recipes
Craving more shrimp? Check out my other shrimp recipes.
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Shrimp and Scallop Risotto
- Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skillet
- Shrimp Salad Sandwich
Craving more rock shrimp? Check these recipes out…
If you make this rock shrimp recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Rock Shrimp with Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Grits
Equipment
- Stove Top
Ingredients
For the Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Grits:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1-¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana style hot sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon Greek seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup grits
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup tomato & basil feta + extra for garnish
For the Rock Shrimp:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 5 plum tomatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 lb. Rock Shrimp peeled and de-veined
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Grits:
- In a large pot bring the milk and water to a boil. Turn the heat off and add in the hot sauce, Greek seasoning and salt. Mix well then stir in the grits. Mix well and place a lid on the pot.
- Place the grits on low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the grits have absorbed all the liquid and they are soft, stir in the heavy cream. Then stir in the cheddar cheese and the feta. Mix well, place lid on grits and set to the side.
For the Rock Shrimp:
- While grits are cooking, In a saute pan, combine grapeseed oil and butter. Melt on high then add in the onions and garlic.
- Reduce heat to medium, sauté for 2 minutes then add the diced tomatoes, Greek seasoning, hot sauce, and oregano. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet. Give one good stir and then place the rock shrimp into the skillet. Stir again, place lid on the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.
- Once shrimp are cooked assemble dinner. Divide the grits evenly among the two plates then divide the shrimp among the two bowls. Top with additional crumbled feta and parsley.
Notes
- Feta – If you can’t find the tomato basil feta you can use regular feta.
- Shrimp – If you can not find rock shrimp you can use medium-pink shrimp with the shells and tails off.
- Bacon – If you have bacon on hand you can fry 1-2 peices prior to cooking the garlic and onions. Then chop the crispy bacon up and sprinkle on top of the shrimp and grits.
Nutrition
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Kathryn Smith
Hi Katie, doesn’t cooking the grits for only 15 minutes cause them to have the texture of wet sand? Do people actually like that??
Katie
Hi Kathryn, thank you for your concern. This has been my experience on how to make smooth and creamy grits. Of course, every cook top works differently, and every person prefers grits a different way. If you make grits often go ahead and follow the way/ consistency you prefer best. Happy cooking!
Caroline
This looks amazing Katie! I must try it. I have two bags of grits siting in the cupboard (yellow and white). I was going to prepare them following Sean Brock’s recipe in Heritage. Any preference for white or yellow? Lived in Fla for 4 years now and never made grits! Your recipe might actually might encourage me to try them! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Katie
I use the white grits although I don’t think it matters. The key to good grits is seasoning them really well and I think having a good sauce to go on top! Good luck and enjoy!