🍤 Pesto Shrimp with Saffron Hominy Grits and Slow-Simmered Cherry Tomatoes
A Southern–Italian comfort bowl with a little glow to it.
What started as a practical way to use leftover hominy and Caballero beans turned into something far more elegant. Saffron, roasted garlic, and butter create a golden, velvety base that feels like the love child of polenta and bisque. The shrimp — jumbo, shell-on, and basted in butter with smoked paprika — stay plump and sweet before being tossed in pesto and finished with simmered cherry tomatoes. It’s a bowl that hums with warmth and balance — comforting yet refined.
In a saucepan, combine the milk, hominy, Caballero beans, broth, roasted garlic purée, saffron, and 4 tablespoons of butter. Warm gently until the saffron begins to bloom. Blend with an immersion blender until creamy but still rustic. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Keep warm.
2. Cook the Shrimp
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shell-on shrimp, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Sear about 2–3 minutes per side until the shells are bright pink and the butter turns golden and aromatic. Deglaze the pan with wine or broth, then remove from heat and toss with pesto so it stays vivid and green.
3. Assemble
Spoon the warm hominy–bean mash into shallow bowls. Add a scoop of Simmered Cherry Tomatoes and top with the pesto shrimp. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with Pecorino Romano.
🍷 Notes & Serving Ideas
Cooking the shrimp in their shells gives a deeper, buttery flavor that seeps into the pesto.
The smoked paprika balances the saffron’s floral sweetness and makes the dish feel grounded.
The hominy–bean base reheats beautifully with a splash of milk.
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