Spicy Shrimp over Creamy Polenta
Creamy, soul-satisfying polenta topped with juicy, bold, and spicy-seasoned shrimp.
Creamy, soul-satisfying polenta topped with juicy, bold, and spicy-seasoned shrimp. An elevated classic Southern comfort food guaranteed to please!
This dish is effortless to prepare and makes for a perfect, healthy weeknight meal, but it can also be classed up and served to impress on a weekend evening.
Ingredients
Polenta:
1 tube San Gennaro Traditional Italian Polenta
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Spicy Shrimp:
1 ½ lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (+/- depending on spice preference)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt & pepper - to taste
1 Tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Fresh parsley, finely chopped for garnish (optional)
Green onion, thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the creamy polenta:
Cut 1 tube of San Gennaro Traditional Italian Polenta into 1” cubes. Place the cubes of polenta in a medium-sized saucepan with butter and cover with chicken stock. Cook on medium heat, stirring until the polenta cubes have softened and broken down - about 10 to 15 minutes. You can use an immersion blender to help make things nice and creamy. Lower the heat to simmer and stir in the cheddar cheese and heavy cream. Adjust taste with seasonings as necessary. Keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
Make the spicy shrimp:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and season with cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and fresh minced garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.
Time to enjoy! In shallow bowls, serve creamy polenta topped with a spoonful of spicy shrimp (don’t forget the juices from the pan!). Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and green onions.