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Here & NowROASTED BANANA GRITS WITH SEASONED SHRIMP
Serves 6
I won’t touch the “sweet- versus- salty- grits” debate, so I made these banana grits that
combine a bit of both. I know, I know— hear me out. I actually dislike the taste of raw bananas,
but when a banana gets roasted or baked, it acquires a wonderful buttery, caramelized depth of
flavor. This recipe was born in Ghana for East End Bistro, a casual restaurant in Accra for which I
consulted on the opening menu. In Ghana, bananas are shorter and quite stubby, and pack so
much sweetness. We received what seemed like a ton of these bananas from our purveyor, and
my first idea was to roast most of them and use the puree as a base for our brunch ser-vice,
where some of the best sweet- savory dishes live. The roasted banana brings a unique flavor to
the grits that’s well balanced by garlic and shallots. The grits are finished with a soft cheese that
complements their texture and creates a creamy lusciousness at the same time.
This is a perfect brunch party dish when served with shrimp and a poached or fried egg on each
plate. Leftover grits can be used to make griddled grit cakes or saved and warmed for later.
Grits
3 medium ripe bananas in their peels
2 tablespoons neutral oil
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, finely diced
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup reduced- sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups white stone- ground grits (medium or finely ground)
2 tablespoons mascarpone
Shrimp
1 tablespoon neutral oil
12 large (U16– 20; about ¾ pound) shrimp, peeled with the tail left on, and deveined
2 tablespoons All- Day Seasoning Blend (recipe follows)
Kosher salt
6 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts), for garnish
Fried eggs, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Make the grits: Place the bananas on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, flipping the bananas
halfway through, until the skins are evenly dark, 10 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking
sheet. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel and place in a blender. Blend, adding water by
the teaspoon as needed, to create a puree. You should have about 1½ cups. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium- low heat until the
butter starts to melt. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté, stirring, until the vegetables soften
and become fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium- high, then add the milk,
cream, chicken stock, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil.
Gradually add the grits while whisking. Once the grits are fully incorporated, reduce the heat to
low. Cook the grits, whisking frequently and adding a bit more stock or water a few tablespoons
at a time if the grits become too dry, until completely tender, about 20 minutes. Pull the pot off
the heat. Whisk in ½ cup of the banana puree, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and the
mascarpone. Add more banana puree for more pronounced flavor. Set aside and keep warm.
(Leftover banana puree will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)
Make the shrimp: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium- high heat until shimmering. In
a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the seasoning blend and a pinch of salt. Add the shrimp to
the pan and cook, stirring often, until they are pink and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Divide the roasted banana grits among 6 bowls. Add 2 shrimp to each bowl, garnish with
scallions and a fried egg if desired, and serve right away.
ALL- DAY SEASONING BLEND
Makes a scant ¾ cup
This is the all- purpose seasoning blend I reach for in my home kitchen to flavor meats, vege-
tables, eggs, and just about anything else I’m looking to season with a tasty mix of spices and
herbs. In the United States, “all- purpose seasoning” is the most re-cent name for “kitchen
pepper,” a customizable blend of spices that enslaved Africans used in plantation kitchens to
season dishes, an ingenious shortcut that allowed cooks to add their own blend of spices to a
dish quickly. You can find all- purpose seasonings like Lawry’s in grocery stores, but I like making
my own because I can customize the amount of spice, salt, and herbaceousness. One of my
favorite ingredients to include is Worcestershire powder (a dehydrated form of the liquid kind,
found readily online) be-because it adds a great bit of umami. If you can’t find it, then it’s okay
to just omit it, but really try to track it down online if you can. This is a good herb- forward base,
but feel free to play around with the ratios to make your own signature blend.
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup sweet paprika
3 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire powder (optional)
In a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or blender, combine the parsley, oregano, salt, thyme,
rosemary, peppercorns, cumin seeds, and cayenne. Grind or blend the spices until the mixture
has the same consistency as the granulated garlic. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in the
paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and Worcestershire powder (if using). The
seasoning will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for 1 month.
