IN THE KITCHEN WITH: The Waterfront Restaurant

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This week we went in the kitchen with owner Jason Suzor and chef Justin Hibberts at The Waterfront Restaurant on Anna Maria Island for some shrimp ’n’ grits. The Waterfront Restaurant is located at 111 S. Bay Blvd. and features seasonal items and specials such as mango mahi-mahi, penne mushroom Bolognese and blueberry hibiscus corvina.

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Learn how to make shrimp ’n’ grits and watch an instructional video below:

Grit cake:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/3 cups of grits
4 cups water or stock
4 ounces butter
2 ounces Bulliard’s hot sauce
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Bring stock and milk to a slow boil. Whisk in grits slowly; keep whisking for two to three minutes to ensure smooth texture. Allow grits to fully set, then add butter and hot sauce. Pour onto tray to set in cooler, and portion into desired shapes. Batter and deep fry for creamy inside and crispy crust. Yields 9 to 10 grit cakes.

Sauté:
Ingredients:
1 Andouille sausage link, cooked fully and cut into strips
6 to 7 16/20 shrimp, skinned and deveined
4 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups white wine
3 ounces vegetable or chicken stock
6 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces Parmesan, grated

Instructions:
Heat 9- or 12-inch sauté pan on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Start with half-ounces of canola oil; swirl the oil to cover pan. Add in your sausage — it should sizzle. Let the sausage render and start to crisp. Then add shrimp. When shrimp start to turn pink, add red peppers, lemon, wine and stock. At this point, pull your shrimp from the pan to prevent overcooking. Let the sauce reduce until less than an ounce of liquid is left. Add cream, bring to a boil, and reduce. When cream is reduced, add Parmesan and let the sauce thicken, putting your shrimp back in the pan. Pour over crispy grit cake.