For July 4th, my friend Sarah and I decided to take a girl’s weekend in Charleston, SC. Oh. My. Goodness; the food there was DIVINE. I knew instantly I was about to set forth on a culinary adventure when I noticed the “Veggies” section of a local menu consisted of mac n’ cheese, sweet potato fries, and fried okra. After gorging on fried chicken, she-crab soup, pecan pie and copious amounts of cornbread, I hit the Southern comfort jackpot: shrimp and grits. Hailing from the Northeast, I had never had grits before but the combination of textured grits, spicy gravy and buttery shrimp just sent me through the roof. For the rest of my weekend in Charleston, I made every attempt to eat shrimp and grits everywhere we went out to eat; High Cotton and Hominy Grill were two of my favorites. Here’s a Northerner’s Asiany tribute to the Southern gem:

Coconut Curry Shrimp & Grits (Serves 4)
• 4 servings of prepared grits
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp
• 6 cayenne peppers
• 3 lemongrass stalks
• 1 small ginger root, peeled
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed in 2 tbsp cold water
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• Thai basil, chopped
• red pepper flakes

1. Chop ginger into quarter inch slices.

2. Chop peppers into half inch diagonal slices.

3. Remove outer layer of lemongrass. Chop off the bottom root part and the green leafy parts at the top. Chop into 2 inch pieces.

4. In a small pot, saute garlic until golden brown. Remove from heat and add chicken broth. Add ginger, pepper, lemongrass, curry powder, salt, and sugar. Cover on medium heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

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5. Remove from heat and strain ginger, pepper and lemongrass. Return strained curry broth to pot.

6. Add peeled shrimp to curry broth and cook for 5-7 minutes. Slowly add coconut milk, stirring continuously. Add cornstarch and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes. The final product should be a beautiful creamy mustard color.

7. Serve over prepared grits and garnish with chopped Thai basil and red pepper flakes.

If you’re looking for a fancy and colorful meal, look no further. Super easy to make and great for a dinner date!

Seared Scallops with Ginger Carrot Puree (Serves 4)
• 1 lb fresh scallops
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 lbs carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• sesame oil
• chives, chopped
• toasted sesame seeds

1. Peel skins off carrots and remove the ends. Use a peeler to make thin carrot shavings; doing so makes the carrots easier to puree.

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2. Chop onions into medium slices.

3. Peel ginger and grate coarsely.

4. In a medium pot, mix chicken broth, peeled carrots, chopped onions, and grated ginger. Optional: If you have any leftover garlic nubs, feel free to add it into the pot. Just don’t forget to remove it before you puree the carrot mixture! Let the pot simmer on medium heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes to make sure carrots and onions are fully submerged.

5. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree the carrots. Puree lightly, keeping a chunkier, applesauce-like texture.

6. After carrots have been pureed, return to pot and add salt, pepper, and fish sauce. Stir and let simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes.

7. In a non-stick pan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Place scallops into buttered pan, leaving ample space between each scallop. Sear for 2 minutes.

8. Turn over scallops gently and sear for another 2 minutes.

9. Serve over ginger carrot puree and garnish with sesame oil, chives, and toasted sesame seeds.