Sweet & Spicy Cajun Shrimp With Polenta
Shrimp & Grits, but make it fancy.
Raise you hand if your hand if you’re a seafood lover! If you haven’t noticed by now, I definitely am. Being that I only go grocery shopping once a week these days I’ve been getting very creative with the ingredients I have on hand. When I realized I had shrimp in the freezer, honey & polenta in the pantry, a little light bulb went off in my head. I kicked it up with Cajun & chili seasoning because well, that’s how I roll. This sweet/spicy/savory mixture has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. What can I say, I’m a Creole kid. This recipe is also super quick. I was done with everything in under 25 minutes.
The trick to getting crispy shrimp is to make sure you pat dry them with a paper towel after cleaning/before seasoning.
Also make sure you skillet is HOT. Sear the shrimp on both sides then add the salted butter, garlic, thyme & lemon.
I’m gonna keep it real, I used instant polenta, which is why this recipe can be made in 25 minutes. If you do the same, get the best out of it by adding a little butter, creamed corn & parmesan. However I do suggest everyone use what you have, so if you don't have polenta that's okay! Rice would also go amazing. Veggies are always welcome, my favorite with these flavors are spinach or bell peppers. When the honey butter from the shrimp mixes you’re taste buds will be dancing!
Ingredients:
1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, peeled, tail-on
2 tbsp cajun seasoning
black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated ( I only had one clove so I used 1 clove garlic & 1 shallot)
1 tbsp thyme
zest & juice from 1 lemon
Hot Honey
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp salted butter
1 tsp chili flakes (or cayenne pepper) you can skip if you can't take the heat ;)
a dash of smoked paprika
a dash of Cajun seasoning
pinch of salt
Pat the shrimp dry, then in a large bowl toss with the cajun seasoning, chili flakes & pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the shrimp & cook for 2 minutes on each side. Then add the butter, garlic, thyme, & lemon zest. Cook the shrimp in the butter sauce until the garlic/shallot begins to caramelize, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat & stir in the lemon juice.
Make the polenta or alternative side(s).
Make the spicy honey sauce by melting ingredients together.
Plate the shrimp & polenta then drizzled with hot honey sauce.
Enjoy!
