Shrimp and Grits Panzerotto

This Shrimp and Grits Panzerotto was surprisingly so so delicious, like I know all the components of shrimp and grits are good, but I really wasn't sure if it would work as a panzo. But, as my Will it Panzo? series is quickly showing, pretty much anything will be good in fried dough, although this was shockingly good, and I really didn't expect it. The shrimp and grits panzerotto is packed with flavour, made with pre-blanched shrimp, creamy grits, delicious trinity sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, stuffed into crispy fried golden pizza dough. Thinking about it, why would this not be good?? If you want to know how to make this Shrimp and Grits Panzerotto keep reading or jump to the full recipes.

Finely chop the red pepper, celery, onion and garlic.

In a cast iron pan on medium heat, add butter and 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the vegetables and mix. Season with salt and pepper, paprika, Tabasco, juice from ½ lemon and mix.

Let the vegetables soften slightly, and then add the passata, just enough so it covers the vegetables and then lower the heat and allow to simmer and reduce. Remove from the heat to cool once done.

In a pot, add the chicken stock and heavy cream and bring to a light boil. Add in the polenta and whisk.

Add the cheese and whisk until cheese is melted and some of the liquid has absorbed. Add the butter and mix. Season with salt and pepper and mix. Once liquid is absorbed and polenta is cooked, remove from the heat to cool.

Use pre-blanched shrimp or blanche them yourself and cold shock them in ice water, you want the shrimp cold when it goes into the panzo. If your shrimp has tails, remove them and cut into chunks.

Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface and then stretch out the dough into a circle, kneading it with your fingertips until it is about a half an inch thick. Spoon on about a ¼ cup of the polenta onto one side of the dough, add a few tablespoons of the trinity sauce on top, then the cut up shrimp, more trinity sauce and then shredded mozzarella.

Fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges together with your fingers, crimp the edges to seal the panzo.

Add an inch of oil to a pan or heavy bottom pot, once hot, add the panzo. Allow to cook about 1-2 minutes, spooning the hot oil over the top. Flip and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes, while spooning the hot oil on top. Flip once more and let cook another minute, continuing to spoon the oil on top.

Once golden and crispy, remove from the oil. Season the hot panzo with salt and pepper.

Season the hot panzo with salt and pepper. Cut the panzo in half, serve with a wedge of lemon, some trinity sauce on top for dipping, and garnish with chopped chives.

And now for the full recipe...

Shrimp and Grits Panzerotto

Makes 1 panzerotto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

4-5 blanched black tiger shrimp, cold

230g pizza dough

Oil for frying

Trinity sauce:

1 red pepper

2 celery stalks

1/3 onion

2-3 tbsp butter

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp Spanish paprika

Couple splashes tabasco

Juice from ½ lemon, reserve other half for garnish

3 tbsp passata

Polenta/Grits:

3 cups chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup shredded mozzarella, reserve 2 tbsp for filling  

1 cup dry polenta

1 tbsp butter

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)

How to Make a Shrimp and Grits Panzerotto

Use pre-blanched shrimp or blanche them yourself and cold shock them in ice water, you want the shrimp cold when it goes into the panzo.

Finely chop the red pepper, celery, onion and garlic.

In a cast iron pan on medium heat, add butter and 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the vegetables and mix. Season with salt and pepper, paprika, Tabasco, juice from ½ lemon and mix. Let the vegetables soften slightly, and then add the passata, just enough so it covers the vegetables and then lower the heat and allow to simmer and reduce. Remove from the heat to cool once done.

In a pot, add the chicken stock and heavy cream and bring to a light boil. Add in the polenta and whisk, add the cheese and whisk until cheese is melted and some of the liquid has absorbed. Add the butter and mix. Season with salt and pepper and mix. Once liquid is absorbed and polenta is cooked, remove from the heat to cool.

If your shrimp has tails, remove them and cut into chunks.

Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface and then stretch out the dough into a circle, kneading it with your fingertips until it is about a half an inch thick. Spoon on about a ¼ cup of the polenta onto one side of the dough, add a few tablespoons of the trinity sauce on top, then the cut up shrimp, more trinity sauce and then shredded mozzarella. Fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges together with your fingers, crimp the edges to seal the panzo.

Add an inch of oil to a pan or heavy bottom pot, once hot, add the panzo. Allow to cook about 1-2 minutes, spooning the hot oil over the top. Flip and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes, while spooning the hot oil on top. Flip once more and let cook another minute, continuing to spoon the oil on top. Once golden and crispy, remove from the oil.

Season the hot panzo with salt and pepper. Cut the panzo in half, serve with a wedge of lemon, some trinity sauce on top for dipping, and garnish with chopped chives.

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