A Taste Of Disney: Shrimp And Grits

I am a big fan of the food at Walt Disney World. I have yet to have a meal that I didn't like. I will admit it, not every meal is out of this world amazing. But, the vast majority of the dishes I've  had the pleasure of trying are worth attempting at home. I have been collecting the Disney cookbooks for a few years now, trying to gather all my favorite dishes.

In my endeavor to own all the Disney cookbooks that have been published, I have made a goal of cooking as many of the dishes as I can. This recipe called out to me. I've never had it at the Grand Floridian, but I feel that what I was able to create at home is most likely pretty close.

Prep time: 20 min 

Cook time: 30 min 

Ready in: 50 min 

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 Cup Milk
2 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Cup Grits, regular or stone ground
1 Tsp Salt, coarse
3 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
1/2 Tsp Thyme, fresh and chopped
1/2 Tsp Rosemary, fresh and chopped
1/4 Cup Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 Cup Fennel
1 1/2lbs Shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbsp Olive Oil, extra virgin
1/2 Cup Chorizo Sausage, crumbled
1 Cup White Wine

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat 3 cups of milk and 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat until just simmering.
2. Stir in the onion and garlic.
3. Bring to a boil and slowly whisk in the grits and salt. Make sure to keep staring often and cook until grits are tender. (About the consistency of oatmeal)
4. Remove the grits from heat and stir in the thyme, rosemary, butter, and mascarpone. Keep the girts warm until ready to serve.
5. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, over medium-high heat, and add the shrimp.
6. Sauce the shrimp until they are just pink and then remove them from the pan. Keep the shrimp warm until the sauce is finished.
7. Reduce heat to medium and add the chorizo (if using), fennel, and onion. Cook until all are slightly brown.
8. Pour in the wine and scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid reduces by half. Around 10 minutes.
9. Add the cream and reduce by half again.
10. Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter. Season as desired with salt and pepper.
11. Add the shrimp to the sauce and stir until well combined.
12. Place the girts in a bowl or a plate and top with the shrimp and sauce.

What was the outcome? Creamy flavorful grits and a wonderfully balanced sauce that is packed with proteins. Nic, who does not like the texture of grits, loved it. His only request is that I add more chorizo next time. I had only made enough of the shrimp, chorizo, and sauce for two servings. I was worried that Nic wouldn't like it and I figured I could poach an egg, plop it on the grits and call it breakfast. Well, he did like it and I still get my fancy egg and grits breakfast. Its a win for everyone!