Marcus Samuelsson's new cookbook celebrates Black excellence in the culinary field through stories and recipes.
"The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food" is Samuelsson's narrative cookbook that serves as an introduction to the pantry of the African diaspora, and includes resources for the featured subjects, media and ingredients.
"You can't really find us and our legacies when you look at the history books of American food," Samuelsson said. "But the contribution of black cooking in America and to American food is unbelievable."
Check out his full recipe for shrimp and grits below.
Papa Ed's Shrimp and Grits
Total Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
For the grits
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 cup stone ground grits
4 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
Kosher salt
Gumbo sauce and shrimp
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup small-diced celery
¼ cup small-diced red onion
¼ cup small-diced red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces ground chorizo
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
8 ounces small-diced fresh okra
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups fish stock
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
12 large shrimp, tail on, peeled and deveined
Directions
Make the grits: Combine the water, cream and butter in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, add the grits and whisk to combine. Decrease the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as desired.
Make the sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the celery, onion, red pepper, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, okra, paprika and cayenne, and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the mixture has thickened slightly.
Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Continue to cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the warm grits.