Carla Hall shares shrimp and grits recipe

If you're craving some comfort food, a special soul food treat may be just what you need. Celebrity chef and author Carla Hall shares a delicious recipe for some home made shrimp and grits with fennel potlikker.

Shrimp and Grits with Fennel Potlikker

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups (or more) fennel potlikker, divided

1 cup stone-ground or regular yellow grits, rinsed, drained

1 bay leaf

3 teaspoons. Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped fennel stems

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 plum tomatoes, cored, finely chopped

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fennel fronds

Directions:

1. Combine 2 cups potlikker and 2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; whisk in grits.

2. Set pan over medium-heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add bay leaf and 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt.

3. Cook, whisking often, until grits are thick and creamy, 40-45 minutes if using stone-ground grits or 20-25 minutes if using regular grits.

4. Stir in 1 teaspoon pepper and season with salt. Remove and discard bay leaf. Cover pan and keep grits warm over very low heat, whisking occasionally.

5. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper.

6. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, add shrimp to skillet and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to plate.

7. Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel stems to skillet; cook, stirring often, until starting to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.

8. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

9. Add tomatoes and remaining ½ cup potlikker. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes have fallen apart, about five minutes.

10. Return shrimp to skillet and cook until opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper; remove skillet from heat.

11. If grits have stiffened, loosen with a little more potlikker or water before dividing among bowls. Top with shrimp and sauce. Scatter fennel fronds over.

Fennel Potlikker

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large fennel bulb, cut into eight wedges
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
2 tablespoons Pernod
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, celery and salt; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add Pernod and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until Pernod is evaporated, about 1 minute. Pour in 5 cups water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl; discard solids.

Potlikker can be made five days ahead. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to three months.

Lemony Spring Vegetable and Barley Bowl

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups fennel potlikker
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
½ cup mint leaves

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.

2. Cook asparagus, stirring often, until softened and bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and add barley to pot. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

3. Add potlikker and 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1 ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt; bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until barley is tender and doubled in size and liquid is absorbed, 25-30 minutes.

5. Uncover pot and stir in peas. Cook until peas are tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and reserved asparagus; season with salt and pepper.

6. Divide barley among bowls. Top with lemon zest and mint.