Corn Bisque with Shrimp and Grits Croutons

I love shrimp and grits! In my first cookbook I created two versions, but I knew I had to feature a version in this cookbook as well. These crispy-coated croutons are served in a creamy corn bisque. The secret to the bisque’s intense corn flavor is using the whole corn, from husk to cob.

Grits Croutons

1 ⅓ cups water

1 cup whole milk

1 cup stone-ground grits

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Canola oil

⅓ cup fine stone-ground yellow cornmeal

Corn Bisque

6 ears of yellow corn, in the husks

4 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon butter

½ yellow bell pepper, chopped

½ yellow onion, chopped

4 small cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

Fine sea salt, to taste

Roasted Corn

3 ears of yellow corn, husks and silk removed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Shrimp and Sausage

1 (8-ounce) smoked andouille sausage, cut into halves lengthwise and then diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

To make the croutons, bring the water and milk to a low boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the grits and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, salt, and Parmesan cheese. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Line an 8 ½ × 4 ½-inch glass or metal loaf pan with plastic wrap. Spoon the grits mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate until set, 1 to 2 hours. Once the grits have set, remove from the refrigerator and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Pour the oil into a deep saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Toss the grits cubes in the cornmeal until coated. Place in the hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. To keep the croutons warm, transfer to a wire rack–lined baking sheet and place in a 250-degree F oven.

To make the bisque, remove the husks and silk from the corn. Roughly cut the husks into 2- to 3-inch pieces and place in a large pot with the silk. Use a paring knife or corn zipper to remove the kernels from the cobs. Reserve the kernels. Cut the cobs in half and add them to the pot. Pour in the half-and-half. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the reserved corn kernels, yellow bell pepper, and onion. Sauté the vegetables for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the heavy cream. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the corn has softened, about 40 minutes. Working in batches, transfer the corn mixture to a blender jar and puree until smooth. Strain over a wire mesh strainer back into the saucepan.

Strain the corncob cream through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the husks, silk, and cob pieces. Stir 1 ¼ cups of the corn cob cream into the corn bisque. To thin the bisque, add more corn cob cream. Season the bisque with salt to taste.

To make the roasted corn, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the ears of corn on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the corn and toss to coat. Season with the salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cut the kernels off the cobs.

To make the shrimp and sausage, cook the sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Cover to keep warm. Reserve fat in the pan.

Toss the shrimp with the salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl. In the same pan, heat the fat from the sausage over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook another minute, or until pink and opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

To assemble, spoon some of the Corn Bisque into shallow bowls. Top with the Grits Croutons, shrimp, sausage, and roasted corn kernels. Garnish with the chopped chives.

Makes 6 servings.