RECIPE: Make Agave’s Tequila Anejo Shrimp with Roasted Tomato and Serrano Grits
We love the restaurant Agave and would appreciate their recipe for shrimp and grits. Thanks! — Joe DeCocco, Hoschton
Tim Pinkham, Agave’s managing partner, was happy to provide this recipe. When served, it’s accompanied with vegetables. In our photo, it is plated with grilled asparagus.
As with many Agave dishes, the restaurant seasons the shrimp with its signature chile rub. You can purchase it online or Pinkham says you can substitute Old Bay or your favorite seafood seasoning. Agave keeps the seeds in its serrano peppers when making the roasted vegetables used in the grits and cream sauce. If you want to tame the heat, cook the peppers without the seeds.
- 6 jumbo shrimp, tail on, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Agave chile rub or Old Bay or other seafood seasoning
- 1 cup Tequila Citrus Cream (see recipe)
- 2 leaves basil, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Roasted Tomato and Serrano Grits (see recipe)
- 2 lime wedges, for serving
- Heat grill to 400 degrees. Lightly oil grates.
- Toss shrimp with oil and chile rub or seafood seasoning until all shrimp is coated.
- Grill shrimp until exterior is seared, but interior is still rare, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and move shrimp to a large skillet. Add Tequila Citrus Cream and basil and cook over medium heat until shrimp is cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Put grits in a rimmed soup bowl. Top with shrimp, sauce and any desired vegetables, squeeze juice from one lime wedge over shrimp, then garnish with second lime wedge. Serves 1.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, entire recipe: 1,403 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), 33 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 119 grams total fat (65 grams saturated), 487 milligrams cholesterol, 2,356 milligrams sodium.- 4 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds) cored and halved
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped yellow onion
- 2 serrano peppers, with seeds, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 leaves basil, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup tequila
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons margarine
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Heat broiler. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
- Arrange tomatoes, onion, serranos, garlic and basil on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until everything is charred, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool slightly.
- In the jar of a blender, puree roasted vegetables, including any accumulated juice from the baking sheet. Add Worcestershire and red pepper flakes. Set aside 1 cup vegetable puree for cooking Roasted Tomato and Serrano Grits. Transfer remaining vegetable puree to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tequila and cook 2 minutes to cook out alcohol. Add cream and margarine, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Taste for seasoning. May be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use. Makes 4 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 35 calories (percent of calories from fat, 85), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.- 4 tablespoons margarine
- 1 cup grits
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup roasted vegetable puree from Tequila Citrus Cream (see recipe)
- Salt and pepper
- In a large saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Stir in grits, then add cream. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until grits are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add roasted vegetable puree and reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Makes 5 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per cup: 688 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), 7 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 61 grams total at (35 grams saturated), 162 milligrams cholesterol, 149 milligrams sodium.From the menu of...Agave Restaurant, 242 Boulevard SE, Atlanta. 404-588-0006, agaverestaurant.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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