This gorgeous, elegant, mouthwatering Spanish take on shrimp & grits is simpler and easier than you would ever believe. The chorizo, shrimp, and grape tomato pan sauce comes together in ONE PAN in just minutes. The polenta can also be quick, even with high-quality, whole grain, stone-ground varieties. (I love Bob’s Red Mill polenta/grits, which cooks in about 10 minutes!)
This is also a perfect way to make the most of those ultra-sweet, remarkably flavorful grape tomatoes in season right now. I have to tell you to go to your local farmer’s market for all the fresh healthy produce and to support your local farmers. Definitely do that. BUT… I also have a secret store-bought grape tomato that is OUT. OF. BOUNDS. These are sweet enough to convert even the most stubborn tomato-haters. They’re the only ones I’ve found in the USA that come remotely close to peak-season grape tomatoes in Sicily. I pop them like candy. And I’m not the only one.
To make the pan sauce, just sear the chorizo until crisp while charring the tomatoes. In the same pan, sauté chopped onion and spices, and sear the seasoned shrimp. Deglaze with white wine while smashing the tomatoes into the sauce. Stir in a dab of butter and squeeze of lemon. And your show-stopping piece is DONE.
Meanwhile, cook the polenta in 2:1 salted water to milk. Add some minced garlic for extra flare. When done, melt in your butter and cheese. Gracefully spoon the shrimp and pan sauce over a bed of polenta in a shallow bowl. Swoon.
I served this with charred zucchini (black garlic sea salt, black pepper, olive oil) and crusty garlic loaf.
Finished with fresh parsley.
Saffron Shrimp and Grape Tomatoes with Chorizo & Polenta
Ingredients
For the polenta:
- 70 g white polenta
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/8 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup milk (2% or whole milk preferred)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1 oz freshly shredded fontina (sub mozzarella, gouda, or 20 g shredded parmigiano-reggiano)
For the shrimp and tomato sauce:
- 2 oz chorizo (pork or chicken, ground or links)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 10-15 sweet grape tomatoes (whole)
- 2 Tbsp chopped sweet onion
- 6 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- generous pinch sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
- pinch saffron threads, crushed
- pinch cayenne (optional)
- 2 tsp white wine
- 1-2 Tbsp chicken broth
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine raw shrimp, 1 clove minced garlic, sprinkle sea salt and black pepper, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice. Toss to coat shrimp evenly. Set aside. (May prepare in advance and refrigerate.)
Make the polenta:
- Add 1/2 cup water and 1/8 tsp sea salt to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- As soon as the water starts to boil, stir in grits, reduce heat to low, then stir in milk. Bring to a very gentle bubble over low heat. Add 1 clove minced garlic.
- Cook until thickened and creamy, stirring occasionally. Cover, remove from heat, and let rest at least 5 minutes before removing lid.
- Finish by folding in the butter butter and shredded fontina over low-medium heat to help melt in the cheese.
Make the pan sauce:
- Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. If using sausage links, slice into thin coins. If using ground sausage, break into small pieces while cooking. Add sausage to one side of pan and cook until brown and crisp on all sides. Remove cooked sausage from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, while the sausage is cooking, add 1/2 tsp olive oil and grape tomatoes to the other side of the pan. (If not enough room, remove sausage after it has cooked and continue with tomatoes.) Cook undisturbed about 5-7 minutes, until blistered/charred on one side, then turn.
- After removing the sausage, add about 1/2 tsp additional olive oil to the pan along with chopped onion. Continue cooking until onions begin to soften and tomatoes look like they're about to pop.
- Add shrimp to the pan and sear on one side, 1-2 minutes. Turn shrimp and cook another 1 minute, until just barely cooked through.
- Stir in a big pinch of sea salt, black pepper, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, a pinch of crushed saffron threads, and cayenne for extra heat, if desired.
- Add white wine to deglaze the pan while scraping browned bits from the bottom. Reduce heat to low. Gently smash tomatoes with the back of a spatula while stirring to form a sauce. Bring to a gentle bubble, and stir in ~1 Tbsp broth as needed for saucy consistently.
- Stir in butter, sausage, and 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide polenta between shallow bowls, and top each with the pan sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Nutrition calculated using chicken chorizo links.
