SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS WITH GRITS

This recipe is a spin-off of one I found on epicurious.com, where it's rated 4 forks (highest rating). The original recipe is served at Slightly North of Broad Restaurant on East Bay Street in Charleston, SC, and they call it "Maverick Grits." I adapted it for the ingredients I had on hand, meaning that the chorizo was left out and the fresh tomatoes were replaced by canned diced tomatoes. I thought the grits would taste good cooked in chicken broth instead of water, and they did; but if I make this again, I'll use water and cream as the recipe calls for to get a milder, creamier taste that I think will perfectly complement the tomato base. I really liked this dish and will make it again. Another note: while stone-ground grits take forever to cook, they are so worth it. Using instant or quick-cooking varieties is not an option for me.

Shrimp and Scallops with Grits

Adapted from Maverick Grits, Slightly North of Broad, Charleston, SC and epicurious.com

Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

For Grits: 1 cup water

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1-1/2 tsp. unsalted butter, divided use

1/4 cup stone-ground grits

1 Tbsp. heavy cream

For Seafood Sauce: 1/4 cup chopped ham

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided use

4 medium sea scallops

6 large shrimp

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp. sliced scallions

1/4 tsp. finely chopped or grated garlic

pinch of cajun seasoning, such as Emeril's essence

2 Tbsp. water

Bring water, salt and 1/2 tsp. butter to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan. Add grits. Cook at a bare simmer, covered, stirring frequently, until grits are tender and thick, about 1 hour. Stir in cream and remaining teaspoon butter and remove from heat.

Make topping 15 minutes before grits are done: Cook ham in 1-1/2 tsp. butter in a 9" heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until ham is golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer ham to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add 1/2 tsp. butter to skillet and heat until foam subsides. Cook scallops until golden on both sides and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate with ham. Add remaining 1/2 tsp. butter to skillet and cook shrimp, turning, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in ham, scallops and remaining 1/2 tsp. butter, and remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits in skillet, until heated through, then season with salt and pepper. Serve topping over grits. Yield: 1-1/2 servings (Original recipe serves 4 generously.)