Mardi Gras in Milwaukee: Langostinos & Caramelized Onion & Parmesan Grits

One of the things I love about having a food blog is that we get to make excuses for celebrating all sorts of crazy holidays that we wouldn't normally observe.  One of these happens to be a particular favorite of mine -- Mardi Gras.  And one of my favorite recipes to celebrate Mardi Gras just happens to be the classic shrimp & grits, a low country dish that makes use of two southern classics, creamy grits and plentiful gulf shrimp.

According to the Houston Press, shrimp & grits "started out as a seasonal fisherman’s dish of shrimp cooked in bacon grease served over creamy grits in the Low Country where they were also known as “breakfast shrimp.” The simple seafood breakfast became an iconic Southern dish after Craig Claiborne wrote about it in the New York Times in 1985"

 
In an effort to be frugal, I decided that this year I was going to rely on pantry & freezer staples to make our Mardi Gras inspired meal. Although we didn't have shrimp, we were fortunate to have a bag of frozen Langostino tails on hand from Trader Joes. An affordable (and delicious) alternative to lobster, langostino tails are meat from squat lobster, a shellfish with a similar flavor and texture.  And I just knew they would be perfect for this dish.

I also decided that, rather than the classic andouille sausage that often appears in New Orleans' style shrimp & grits dishes, that we'd rely on locally produced applewood smoked bacon to provide a bit of smokiness to the final dish.

And off to the kitchen we went. 

In our version, creamy grits are embellished with a hefty dose of caramelized onions and plenty of Wisconsin Parmesan cheese & enrobed in a delicious cream sauce made with langostino tails, local applewood smoked bacon, celery, onions, and deliciously decadent Crystal Ball Creamery cream.

The results, if I do say so myself, were positively divine.  Sweet and creamy, slightly spicy and full of great texture, this dish made impeccable use of simple quality ingredients.  The grits were particularly heavenly -- with the sugary sweet onions balancing perfectly with the flavor of the salty parmesan.

The dish also got reviews from Peef, who declared that I could make it for him once a week for the rest of his life and he'd never grow tired of it.


So, pour yourself a nice big Hurricane and whip up up a batch of Langostino Tails & Grits for your own Shrove Tuesday celebration.  What do you have to lose?

Langostino Tails with Caramelized Onion & Parmesan Grits


©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Shrimp and Grits Turn Political

This is one of those blog posts that may never have been written had the circumstances been different.  The fact of the matter is, this recipe (a modified shrimp & grits made with locally sourced wild mushrooms, shrimp, and cheesy polenta) was pretty much a flop.  What started as a great idea (using deliciously fresh ingredients) turned out to be a royal mess-up at worst, and a learning experience at best.

The flavors were off, the shrimp got slightly overcooked, and the overall dish just didn't have that *something* that made it worthy of becoming a published Burp! recipe.  But, it got me thinking -- really thinking -- about seafood, particularly Gulf seafood.  And I though it was important to share my thoughts.

If you've been a reader for a while, you might remember me talking last summer about our discovery of the Fabian Seafood truck  --  a purveyor of Gulf seafood based in Galveston, Texas.

Fabian started their family business selling fresh shrimp throughout most of Texas and Oklahoma from the back of pick-up trucks. Back then, they would buy the shrimp fresh from the shrimping boats, ice them down, and drive overnight several hundred miles or more inland to sell them the very next day.   People were skeptical of buying shrimp out of the back of a truck (as was I) -- but Fabian proved themselves by supplying some of the freshest shrimp anywhere and developing a loyal following of customers.

The BP spill happened about 300 miles away from Galveston and the oil headed primarily north and east, away from Fabian's business. In fact, these days their business has been primarily affected -- not so much by the oil contamination & dispersants -- but by overall higher wholesale prices and low supply due to the closure of about a third of the fishing grounds in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Unfortunately, they have also felt a drop in business due to the perception that all Gulf seafood is contaminated -- which isn't the case. In fact, according to Fabian's Web site, two thirds of the Gulf is still open to fishing and the shrimp boats.  And businesses are still able to source fresh, uncontaminated seafood from these areas.  They've even posted information on their Web site to ensure that their customers have the information they need to make an educated decision about buying their seafood.


We're doing a fund-raiser here in Milwaukee this weekend called the Gumbo Git Down which aims to bring some relief to the Gulf region through money donated to the Gulf Restoration Network.  And, while you may not live close enough to attend, I'd ask you to consider doing something locally to help out those Gulf fishermen (like Fabian) whose livelihood is at stake.  Keep buying seafood from safe sources.  Keep supporting those workers who keep the Gulf seafood industry alive.  And do your part to spread the truth about what's going on in the Gulf.  

Even better, read up on the work that the Gulf Restoration Network is doing to mediate the issues in the Gulf -- and consider giving them your support.  After all, the BP well might be plugged, but the issues in the Gulf are a long way from being solved.   




©BURP! Where Food Happens