BEST Appetizer: Blackened Shrimp, Creamy Polenta with Chipotle Butter

What makes it special?

Y’all trust me. This shrimp and polenta appetizer is sooooo good. (I grew up for a bit in the south and, yes, I still pull out a y’all once in a while). Please make it for your next dinner party. Your friends and family will love you for it.

What makes it is the combination of creamy, cheesy polenta and perfectly cooked, sweet shrimp with a smokey flavor to them and then that little bit of heat from the chipotle butter. Winning. And don’t forget the garnish for a fancy presentation.

In fact, whenever I’m asked to do dinner parties for clients this is one of my go-to menu items. It looks really impressive but is deceptively easy to make.

In the south you’ll see this on restaurant menus as shrimp and grits. Polenta and grits are similar but different. Both are delicious, but I prefer to use polenta because it has more texture to it. ‘Toothsome’ as they say. The cooking method I use (part milk and part stock) softens the grain but doesn’t turn it all to mush.

Shrimp

If you can, buy the big ones (extra jumbo or 16/20 count). The presentation of this dish is all about seeing those beautiful, blackened shrimps standing upright on a bed of polenta and then drizzled with that flavorful chipotle butter. Buy the shrimp raw (fresh or frozen) and you want to keep the tails on but take the rest of the shell off when you clean and devein them.

Blackening Seasoning

You can use any blackening seasoning you like, or make your own, but I like this Kinder’s brand called Cali’s Blackened because it’s not too spicey. You will get the heat with the chipotle butter, so you are looking for more of a smokey flavor and color from the dry rub seasoning more than heat.

I can find this in my local grocery store (Safeway and sometimes Costco). Or I’m sure it’s easy to come by online

Chipotle in Adobo

The sauce is what really ties this dish together and it’s only two ingredients – butter and adobo sauce. You can get adobo sauce from chipotles in Adobo that’s sold on the Mexican food aisle in almost any grocery store. These are little cans of smoked jalapenos in an adobo sauce. For this recipe I only use the sauce and reserve the chipotle peppers for another dish.

Note, the adobo sauce is very spicy, so I recommend adding a little at a time to the melted butter. Remember you have all that mild, creamy polenta to absorb the heat, so you want the butter to be pretty spicey. When you plate it just a little drizzle of the spicy butter sauce will do and then serve the rest in a little dish for those who want to really go for it.

Polenta

As I mentioned, I like to use polenta instead of instant grits because of the color as well as more flavor and texture to it than grits. Polenta is one of those pantry staples I always have on hand because it’s inexpensive and can be the base of so many wonderful dishes. Sherry roasted mushrooms and polenta or a fried egg over polenta with marinara sauce. The list is endless. I like the Bob’s Red Mill brand but whatever you can find is great as long as it’s not already cooked and shaped into a log. You want the actual dry corn grain.

Microgreens

I shop a lot at Trader Joes and ours carries these little microgreens for a fraction of the price I see them for at other higher-end markets. Farmers markets sometimes have them and you can get them online as well. It’s just a nice little touch of freshness for a really rich dish like this and a pop of vibrant color. I use them on all kinds of appetizers.

Blackened Shrimp, Creamy Polenta and Chipotle Butter

Ingredients:

Shrimp

• 5 per person – 16/20 count uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined (tail on)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola oil
• Blackening seasoning (Kinder’s Cali’s Blackened Rub or another favorite)

Chipotle Butter

• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2-3 Tablespoons chipotle in Adobo sauce (Embasa brand recommended)

Creamy Polenta

• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 ¾ cups polenta
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
• Microgreens or Italian flat-leaf parsley (optional as a garnish)

Method:

Polenta:

1. Bring milk and chicken stock to a low boil in medium large sauce pan.  Add polenta/cornmeal a little at a time while whisking to avoid lumps.  Reduce to a simmer and cook while stirring every few minutes to ensure mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  Mixture will bubble and ‘talk’ to you.  Expect intermittent spatters.
2. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft.  Then add in the butter, parmesan cheese, mascarpone or cream cheese and season well with salt and pepper.  If too thick add a little chicken broth or water.

Chipotle Butter:

1. Make Chipotle butter by melting butter with 2-3 Tablespoons of the adobo sauce in the can of the chipotle peppers and whisk until smooth.  Taste and adjust if needed.  *Alternatively, can add honey to butter to make a sweet butter sauce for those who prefer less spicy

Blackened Shrimp:

1. Pat cleaned/deveined shrimp dry and season generously with blackening seasoning on both sides.
2. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium high heat and add in 1-2 Tablespoons canola oil.  When hot, add the shrimp to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side turning only once.  Remove from hot pan immediately when done.

Assembly:

Assembly:

1. Ladle polenta onto a warm plate or bowl.  Top with approximately 3- 5 shrimp per person, sitting the shrimp upright on the polenta in a circle in the center. 
2. Drizzle chipotle butter around the edges of the polenta and a little over the top.
3. Garnish with microgreens or chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Kitchen Tools:

Kitchenware:

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Cast iron or medium heavy pan (shrimp)
• Medium pot (polenta)
• Small pan or microwavable dish (chipotle butter)
• Tongs
• Wire whisk

Presentation:

For a nice dinner party, I serve this on small gratin dishes that I’ve kept warm either in a warming drawer or in a 200-degree oven on a sheet pan. These are my absolute favorite dishes to use for this appetizer and I get so many compliments on them.

I found them at Sur La Table in the bakeware section and technically I think they are for creme brulee but I’ve found them perfect for so many small plate appetizers. Here’s another one I did for a dinner party. Mini meatloaf appetizer with habanero infused ketchup glaze, carrot puree and piped buttermilk mashed potatoes.

If I were hosting more of a family style dinner party, I’d serve them on a wide-based bowl like this one. Polenta down first, shrimp arranged in a pile over the polenta, drizzle of chipotle butter with the rest served separately in a small sauce dish. And topped with microgreens or chopped parsley

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What to serve with it:

If this is the main dish for a dinner party, then I’d pair with a simple salad that has a homemade dressing. Like this Kale Caesar. Or my trio of summer farmer’s markets salads with tomato water vinaigrette would be a delicious pairing as well.

If you are hosting a small bites or appetizer style party, then a crostini would be a good way to go. Like this prosciutto and mozzarella crostini appetizer with fresh basil oil.