Culinary SOS: Old Firehouse Restaurant’s Hollywood shrimp

Dear SOS: My family and I just returned from a great trip to South Carolina. While we had fabulous food at a few different places, our absolute best meal of the trip was at the Old Firehouse in Hollywood. The restaurant specializes in local seafood and produce and, while all the meals we had there were delicious, their Hollywood Shrimp was nothing short of amazing.

Carol Hatley

Manhattan Beach

Dear Carol: Old Firehouse was happy to share its recipe for this simple but amazing dish. Large shrimp are tossed with a little garlic, country ham and baked with butter to succulent tenderness. Plate the shrimp over a large spoonful of rich, creamy grits and serve hot. No, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Old Firehouse Restaurant’s Hollywood shrimp

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: Adapted from Old Firehouse Restaurant in Hollywood, S.C.

Hollywood shrimp

Oil, for sautéing

1/2 pound sliced country ham

3 pounds (21 to 25 count per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons minced garlic

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, melted

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large lightly oiled skillet, sauté the country ham over medium heat until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then slice or chop; the restaurant juliennes the ham.

2. In a large casserole (about 11 by 15 inches), place the peeled shrimp in a single layer. Top the shrimp with the minced garlic, country ham and drizzle with melted butter. Place the casserole in the oven and cook just until the shrimp are opaque and firm, about 15 to 25 minutes. Serve the shrimp over the cooked grits.

Grits

2 cups water

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup grits

2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a 3-quart stock pot, combine the water, milk, butter and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then stir in the grits. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, following the package instructions. Remove from heat, and stir in the cream for added richness. This makes about 4 cups cooked grits. Serve immediately.

Each of 8 servings: 609 calories; 47 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 35 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 358 mg. cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 1,470 mg. sodium.