"Rich Grits"

For the grits:


2 cups medium ground grits, fine cornmeal, or white polenta
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the shrimp and sausage:


6 good quality pork sausage
olive oil
3/4 lb raw shrimp, shells off
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
pat of butter
1 lemon
small bunch of Italian parsley, finely chopped

Bring a quart of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Pour in your grits or cornmeal and cook following the package instructions. Be sure to stand over the pan and stir constantly to make sure there are no lumps and it doesn't catch. When your grits are ready, add the butter and grated cheese, and stir and beat in really well. Have a taste and add some seasoning to the point where it's delicious. Pop the lid on the pan to keep the grits warm.

Get a large frying pan on a medium heat. Squeeze the sausages out of their skins bit by bit and roll the meat into little balls. Don't go getting fancy, just pack them into roundish shapes. once you've done that with all your sausages, turn the heat up under the pan and add the meatballs to the pan with a few lugs of olive oil.

Shake the pan every now and the, and after 4 or 5 minutes the meatballs should be looking gorgeous all over. Add your shrimp and minced garlic and sprinkle in your smoked paprika. Give everything a good shake and within about 2 minutes the shrimp will be perfectly cooked, so add a pat of butter and cook for another minute or two, shaking and stirring every 10 seconds or so. Take the pan off the heat, squeeze in the juice of your lemon, add your chopped parsley, and season to tasted with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let everything mix together, and stir around to pick up any flavors from the bottom of the pan. Have a taste and check you're happy with it. Stir a splash of boiling water into your grits to bring them back to life, and divide between your plates. Spoon over the lovely meat and shrimp, drizzle over any leftover juices, and serve right away.

Wine pairing: Italian red - Dolcetto d'Alba (I found a good one for $10 at Total Wine)

Recipe from: Jamie's America: Easy Twists on Great American Classics, and More