Paprika Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Polenta (Recipe inspired by RUSH)

Paprika Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Polenta is this Northern girl’s answer to Southern Shrimp n’ Grits.

I may be biased, but I think it’s even better than Shrimp and Grits — mainly because it’s ready to eat in 20 minutes.

A little side note before we begin

You guys, I’m going to stop trying to get ahead in my blogging life. This is the second time I’ve made plans to cook and photograph a month’s worth of blog recipes in one weekend, only to have my plans completely foiled.

The first time, my hard drive crashed, wiping nearly all the photos of my hard work. This time, I gave myself a concussion by walking into a door frame while *cringe* talking to my cat. (If you know me, you’re not surprised by this. And…if you’ve known me since high school, you’re really not surprised by this.)

I had a whole weekend planned of cooking, photographing, editing, and writing, followed by relaxing with a book. I was really looking forward to it.

Instead, I spent almost the entire weekend watching numerous Amy Adams and Emma Stone movies that were on TV because that’s all my bruised little brain could handle for the ensuing 48 hours. But, I guess everything happens for a reason because one of the Emma Stone movies was The Help, which got me thinking again about Rush.

Why is Paprika Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Polenta the book-inspired recipe for Rush?

A ton of delicious Southern food appears in Rush, so it was a real struggle to decide what to cook for this book-inspired recipe. In the end, I settled on a Southern classic. Kinda.

Paprika Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Polenta is my version of shrimp and grits. I love this traditional Southern dish, and I devoured it every chance I got during my honeymoon in New Orleans.

However, I’m a Northern gal, and up North we don’t make grits. We make polenta, especially if we have any Italian blood in us.

So, I’m doing a Northern riff on a classic Southern dish that uses polenta instead of grits.

Why I love Paprika Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Polenta

Paprika Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Polenta is one of Mr Tart’s favorite meals; he asks for it a few times a month. He loves the bold flavor of the shrimp and the creaminess of the polenta.

While I enjoy eating this dish, too, one of the main reasons I like to make it is that it’s super easy to whip up on a weeknight when I come home from work.

I did think about making actual grits for this particular recipe. However, I recently watched a Good Eats: Reloaded episode about them, and I damn near had a heart attack when I learned just how completely unhealthy they are.

I understand why — both grits and polenta have very little flavor in their natural state, so you really need to jazz them up to make them edible.

Smoked Gouda Polenta is by no means a health food, but it’s certainly better than what went into the grits that Alton Brown prepared!

If you’ve never had polenta before, now is the time to try it. It’s one of my favorite side dishes, and not just because it is amazingly simple to make.

A good polenta is creamy and luscious, yet has a slight bite to it from the ground cornmeal. It dollops wonderfully onto your plate as a vehicle for sauce, so it’s a great alternative for mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

A less spicy version of Shrimp and Grits

One thing you should know about Paprika Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Polenta? It’s not spicy. A lot of the shrimp and grits dishes I’ve eaten contain a lot of heat, and a lot use an overly smoky BBQ sauce, which I don’t love.  

We generally tone down the heat factor in our house, which is why I like using ground paprika instead of chili powder or peppers to season the shrimp. Paprika packs a ton of flavor without the heat. 

Feel free to use smoked paprika if you want a bolder flavor, or if that’s all you have in the house. Even if you use regular paprika like I did, the Smoked Gouda that’s melted into the creamy, thick polenta will give you plenty of that BBQ flavor, calling to mind some Southern roots.

Put your own spin on this dish. I always do.

I’ve made Paprika Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Polenta countless times, though this was the first time I stopped to actually measure out (and write down) the ingredients. At least, for the shrimp portion of the dish. 

I usually just toss spices and such into the pan, eyeing it up and tasting it as I go. You’re welcome to do this, as well — nay, I encourage it! But, for those of you who have to follow a recipe (I getcha), you won’t find a tastier and simpler meal than this one.

However, it’s a slightly different story for the polenta. While you should follow my recipe for the polenta itself (the cornmeal, broth, and salt), you can go wild when it comes to flavoring the dish. 

Polenta is a blank canvas: it takes on whatever flavor you want to give it. I’ve made Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Rosemary Polenta. I’ve made a Cheddar Cheese Polenta. Heck, I’ve even made a version of polenta without cheese and just stirred in chopped fresh basil. 

However you want to flavor the polenta, it will always turn out delicious. 

What do you serve with Paprika Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Polenta?

Enjoy this Paprika Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Polenta with a glass of Chardonnay, or, my preferred way and using the Rush beverage of choice, with an ice-cold “Co-Cola.” Great side dishes for this meal are Broiled Broccolini or a Mixed Berry Spinach Salad. 

Finish off your meal with some Almond Kentucky Butter Cake, a scoop of Peach Ice Cream or Citrus Breeze Ice Cream, or a refreshing slice of Strawberry Pie. 

Paprika Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Polenta

Paprika Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Polenta features a paprika lemon butter sauce over smoky, creamy polenta. A fun twist on shrimp and grits!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

POLENTA INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 1/3 cups cornmeal
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese
• 4 chopped green onions, divided

PAPRIKA SHRIMP INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs medium raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Chop green onions and set aside.
• Grate cheese and set aside.
• In a medium bowl or pitcher, whisk together 2 cups of the chicken broth and all of the cornmeal. Set aside.
• Cut and juice one lemon; set juice aside.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Make the polenta first: In a medium pot, combine the 2 remaining cups of chicken broth, 2 tbsp butter, and 1 tsp salt. Bring mixture just to boiling over high heat, then add the cornmeal mixture to the pot, stirring as you go. Reduce heat to medium and simmer polenta until thickened, stirring slowly and constantly, for 5-7 minutes. You want the polenta to thicken to the consistency of a starchy pudding.
• Once polenta is thickened, remove pot from heat and immediately stir in the grated cheese. Once the cheese is fully combined, cover the pot and set aside to keep warm while you cook the shrimp.
• Make the shrimp: Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, paprika, onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and stir to combine. Arrange coated shrimp in a single layer in the pan and let cook 3-4 minutes, until the shrimp start to turn opaque.
• Add the fresh lemon juice and about half of the chopped green onions to the skillet. Stir to combine, then let mixture simmer until shrimp are fully cooked, pink, and opaque, another 1-2 minutes.
• Serve Paprika Shrimp over Smoked Gouda Polenta and sprinkle with remaining chopped green onions. Make sure to spoon some of that sauce over the polenta!

Keyword shrimp and grits