Brown Stew Shrimp and Sweet Potato Grits
A Caribbean-Southern fusion: jumbo shrimp in a brown-stew sauce with peppers and Scotch bonnet, spooned over sweet potato grits enriched with gouda.
Overview
A Caribbean-Southern crossover that works because both traditions cook in a similar register: butter, peppers, alliums, slow heat, savoury depth. The brown stew base on top of the dish is Jamaican, bell peppers, carrot, Scotch bonnet, ginger, browning sauce, that mahogany-coloured gravy with the unmistakable allspice-and-thyme signature, and the bed underneath is from Lowcountry Charleston, where sweet potato grits enriched with butter, half-and-half and gouda are a long-running modern Southern restaurant standard. The shrimp themselves are quick-cooked and sweet, picking up the brown stew sauce. Two textures stacked: silky-rich grits, brothy stew on top with bite from the diced peppers and carrot. Smell is sweet-onion-and-browning-sugar over the corn-sweet base of the grits. Not difficult but it's two pans running at once, so timing matters; the grits hold on a low warm setting while the shrimp cook quickly. A modern fusion rather than a traditional dish, popularised by Black American chefs in the 2010s exploring the points of overlap between Lowcountry and Caribbean cookery.
Ingredients
Sweet potato grits
- 800 ml water (plus more as needed)
- 240 ml chicken broth
- Salt to taste
- 1 ½ cups grits (not instant)
- ½ cup sweet potato purée (or pumpkin purée)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 120 ml half-and-half (or single cream)
- 100 g shredded gouda cheese (or sharp cheddar)
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Brown stew shrimp
- 450 g (1 lb) jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ green bell pepper (finely diced)
- ½ red bell pepper (finely diced)
- ½ small yellow onion (finely diced)
- 1 carrot (large, finely diced)
- 1 Scotch bonnet (deseeded and chopped)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons browning sauce (Grace brand)
- 240 ml chicken broth
- ¼ cup sliced spring onions (plus more to garnish)
Method
Stage 1 - Grits
- Bring water, chicken broth and salt to the boil in a large saucepan.
- Gradually whisk in the grits, breaking up clumps.
- Reduce to low; cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the sweet potato purée, butter, half-and-half, cheese and white pepper.
- Taste; adjust salt. Keep warm on the lowest heat. Add water if too stiff.
Stage 2 - Season the shrimp
- Pat the shrimp dry.
- Toss with oil, paprika, allspice, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
Stage 3 - Brown stew base
- Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the bell peppers, onion, carrot and Scotch bonnet; sauté 6-7 minutes until tender.
- Stir in the garlic paste and ginger paste; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the browning sauce; stir to combine. The mix darkens.
Stage 4 - Simmer the shrimp
- Add the seasoned shrimp, chicken broth and scallions.
- Cover; simmer 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque.
Stage 5 - Plate
- Divide the grits between bowls.
- Spoon the brown stew shrimp and sauce over the top.
- Scatter more scallions.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Browning sauce is the colour and flavour: Grace-brand Browning gives the dish its mahogany finish. Kitchen Bouquet is a workable substitute.
- Don't overcook the shrimp: 7 minutes covered is plenty for jumbo shrimp. They go rubbery fast past that point.
- Sweet potato purée: roast a sweet potato, scoop and purée, freeze in portions. Tinned pumpkin works as a substitute.
Storage
- Both elements keep 3-4 days refrigerated. Don't freeze (grits go grainy).
- Reheat the grits with a splash of broth or milk; the shrimp gently in the sauce.
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