Ya-Ya Yummy

While we were in Pensacola we ate at another fabulous place~ The Fish House. Their Grits and Shrimp Ya-Ya is worth the trip! It is a casual resturant near Seville Square right on the bay at the marina. The Oyster bar next door has a similar menu and a more casual atmosphere.


I am going to have to make those gouda grits with a creamy ya-ya sauce; I may have to scale it down a bit to fit into our new diet. It was awesome at the Fish House... though I am not sure why any good chef feels the need to add MSG to spice up shrimp. It is without a doubt one of my all time favorites.

You can find all kinds of things on the internet... Here is the recipe from Jim Shirley's cookbook 'Good Grits'. That might be a cookbook I have to add to my collection.
Grits a' Ya Ya

Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits
1 quart of chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound Dixie Lily grits
1/4 pound shredded smoked Gouda cheese
The Ya Ya
8 strips of applewood-smoked bacon, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallots
3 tablespoons butter
White wine
1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
1 portobello mushroom cap, sliced
1/4 cup diced scallions
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups smoked Gouda cheese grits
Salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste
First, make your grits. Run the chicken stock into a thick-bottomed saucepan and turn on high til it boils. Mix in the grits and stir like crazy. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream if you need more liquid. Then tumble in the butter, drizzle in the rest of the cream and stir till it's all in the family. Then shake in the shredded cheese and stir very well till it's all nice and smooth.

While your grits cook, bring a large saucepan to medium heat. Add bacon and cook for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and shallots. Saute and then add butter and a splash of white wine. When the butter is half-melted, add the shrimp. When the downsides of the shrimp become white, flip them and add mushrooms, scallions and spinach. Saute for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp, Pour in heavy cream and let simmer while stirring. When reduced by one third, add salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return shrimp to the sauce and combine. Spoon the sauce and shrimp onto heaping mounds of cheese grits. Source:Good Girts by Jim Shirley

Y'all enjoy!
Sandi