By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 4
403 cal · 65 min
Spicy Rock Shrimp & Grits
Recipe GLPR1ab9e032e72812
A vibrant and aromatic dish combining tender rock shrimp in a spicy, tamarind-coconut sauce with creamy cheese grits, topped with a soft quail egg. The sauce features a fragrant paste of garlic, shallots, red chilies, and lemongrass, creating an exciting blend of heat and tropical flavors.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
2 quail eggs
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 shallots, coarsely chopped
3 long hot red chilis, seeds removed
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 cup grits
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pound rock shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup water for tamarind
Salt to taste
Directions
Place the quail eggs in a small pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot, remove from heat, and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of cold water to cool completely, then gently peel away the shells. Set the hard-boiled quail eggs aside on a clean plate.
Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over the tamarind paste in a small bowl. Let it steep for 10 minutes to soften, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids and reserve the tamarind liquid.
Combine the minced garlic, chopped shallots, seeded red chilis, and lemongrass pieces in a food processor. Blend until a smooth, coarse paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the aromatic paste and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the color begins to deepen slightly.
Pour in the reserved tamarind liquid and half of the coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and remove from heat.
While preparing the sauce, cook the grits according to package directions in a separate pot. Once tender, stir in the butter and shredded cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Return the pan with the sauce to medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Gently add the rock shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
Divide the creamy cheese grits among four serving bowls or plates. Top each portion with an equal amount of the spicy shrimp and sauce. Garnish each bowl by placing a halved hard-boiled quail egg on top and serve immediately.
Comments
This recipe demands a special trip for tamarind paste and lemongrass, neither of which are stocked routinely at Charlotte's major chains; you'll need to visit an Asian market like H Mart or a specialty grocer. The 65-minute stated time glosses over the prep work—mincing garlic, shallots, and chilis, zesting lemongrass, and making a coconut-based braise easily adds 20 minutes to the clock, making this a 75- to 85-minute undertaking on a weeknight. Rock shrimp at $12 to $16 per pound and quail eggs at $6 to $8 per dozen push the cost to roughly $8 to $10 per serving, which is meaningful; the dish reheats poorly once the shrimp and grits separate. Budget the specialty-market stop and the extended prep time for an otherwise solidly flavored Southern-Southeast Asian hybrid that rewards the extra effort.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
