Dale Gray’s Greek-Style Shrimp with Creamed Corn Recipe

“I wanted to prepare a quick weeknight dinner that echoed southern shrimp and grits,” says food blogger Dale Gray. “Since my goal was speed, replacing slow-cooking grits with fresh corn made sense.”

“It helps to have a bag of frozen shrimp on hand to cook up this recipe at a moment’s notice,” adds Gray. Thaw the shrimp in cold water for 15 minutes, and then pat dry before cooking.

She included the “flavorful” recipe in her cookbook South of Somewhere “after seeing all of the empty plates and happy faces at dinner,” she says. It was a “no-brainer.”

Gray lives in Mississippi but grew up in South Africa, where “Greek influences are strong,” she says, “so I try to incorporate those flavors into my cooking whenever possible,” including in this dish.

Dale Gray’s Greek-Style Shrimp with Creamed Corn

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)

4 large garlic cloves, minced

4 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (from 5 medium ears)

½ cup lower-sodium chicken broth

2 oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about ½ cup)

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1 lb. extra-large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp. Greek seasoning (such as Cavender’s)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh chives, tarragon, basil and/or oregano

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add corn and chicken broth; cover and cook over medium, undisturbed, until corn is tender and stock is reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add Parmesan and heavy cream, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover and set aside while preparing shrimp.

3. Place shrimp, Greek seasoning and garlic powder in a large bowl, and toss until shrimp are fully coated in spice mixture. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Once oil is hot, add shrimp in an even layer; cook until shrimp just turn pink and opaque, about 2 minutes, flipping shrimp once halfway through cooking time. Stir in lemon juice, pepper and salt. Season with additional pepper and salt to taste. Remove from heat.

4. Scatter shrimp on top of creamed corn; sprinkle with herbs. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes