A TRIBUTE TO THE QUEEN OF SOUTHERN CUISINE

EK: When I saw the sad news of the passing of Southern Food Doyenne Nathalie Dupree on Instagram on Monday night, it hit me hard. Not only would the world be losing a smart, funny, refreshingly honest person, but new generations of cooks and especially female cooks won’t have the opportunity to learn from one of the American Greats.

AU: I know you and Nathalie had a close bond. Both trailblazers in your own ways, and ladies from the South.

EK: Nathalie was a generous mentor, supporter, and cheerleader for nearly everyone she met in the culinary world—me included! But she was an especially avid champion of women in the culinary world long before that was a thing.

The best example of her limitless generosity is her famous Pork Chop Theory. And it goes something like this: If you have one pork chop in a pan, it goes dry. If you cook two pork chops in a pan, their melting fat feed each other. You can read more about it in her own words, here.

She applied that theory to the competitive culinary world, believing that would-be rivals can co-exist and make each other better, and that there is always room for more people who share your passion—it’s about joining together not kicking each other out.

There are a lot of great tributes to her that have been written this week, and a quick Google search will have you reading for hours. She touched and influenced so many people with her big broad smile and authentic hospitality.

I don’t remember the first time I met Nathalie… it was probably at an IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) conference or a James Beard event. And, I saw her often at the Southern Foodways Alliance functions. She not only attended these events, she was instrumental in creating the organizations and was one of the founders of many of them.

In 2012, I was attending an event in Charleston, SC, with a number of my “food friends.” Like so many, we found ourselves at Nathalie’s house on Queen Street for cocktails and a buffet. There were so many simple-yet-spectacular dishes on that table, including her southern version of Cassoulet, and shrimp and grits in a huge bowl.

And, right there in front of that huge bowl…I had the biggest Shrimp and Grits epiphany of my life. Since I grew up in North Carolina, the home of restaurant shrimp and grits, I thought I knew how to make them. But that day, Nathalie changed the way I make Shrimp and Grits, and so much for the better!

Over the years, I have used her method and added my own seasonings to what I currently make as my One-Pot Shrimp and Grits.

With her permission, I wrote about the Shrimp and Grits epiphany at her house for AP (Associated Press). Even though she had been featured in articles hundreds of times, and had awards from everyone, including three from The James Beard Foundation, she was genuinely excited about my article. For years after it was published, whenever I saw her, she referenced it with enthusiasm. In tribute to Nathalie, I am reposting the article below:

Nathalie Dupree’s Shrimp And Grits Inspires New Recipe—Written by Elizabeth Karmel for Associated Press in 2012

I recently traveled to Charleston where the wine and food festival was in session. The city swelled with pride as the top culinarians hosted chefs and food lovers from all over the country. I was lucky enough to have an invitation to cookbook author and Southern entertainer extraordinaire, Nathalie Dupree’s house for drinks.

An hour before, Nathalie was on a panel with five other female chefs talking about being a woman in a male-dominated field. I loved her unself-conscious candor and her strong opinions—admitting that her mother wanted her to be a lady—a southern lady—above all else and she wasn’t one.

That was ironic to me because I always looked at Nathalie Dupree as the epitome of a southern lady. And, good southern ladies know how to get their business done, come home, freshen up and lay out a cocktail buffet like no one else. (Nathalie Dupree definitely embodied this definition of a southern lady!)

I was on my way to dinner but Natalie’s buffet beckoned nonetheless. Actually, it reached up and grabbed me by the collar. There was a Dixie Cassoulet complete with charming lady peas, a delicious salad of garden arugula, pecans and perfect slices of avocado with a classic sherry vinaigrette, a stuffed and rolled beef tenderloin, new asparagus and many other dishes, but the dish that I could not keep my spoon out of, was a simple rendition of low-country shrimp and grits.

I love shrimp and grits almost as much as I love barbecue, and have eaten it and cooked it more times than I can count. But this version of shrimp and grits was different. I took a spoonful of the shrimp already mixed into the creamy white stone-ground grits and noticed that they looked poached. Then I took a bite. The sweet shrimp tasted like the sea and the texture was tender and pristine.

I instantly realized Nathalie’s shortcut, which was also her brilliance. The one drawback to shrimp and grits is that often the shrimp—normally sauteed separately—are tough and overcooked. This new “method” will insure that the shrimp are never overcooked. Right there in Nathalie Dupree’s living room, I had a shrimp and grits epiphany.

I couldn’t help myself, and I blurted out, “Nathalie, did you put raw shrimp in the simmering grits?”

“Yes, I did and I sometimes put a handful of spinach in there too,” she nonchalantly replied.

Well, that set my mind to thinking as I contemplated a few more bites of the shrimp. I couldn’t wait to get home to try a new kind of shrimp and grits recipe. Since I was no longer in shrimp country, I bought frozen IQF shrimp*, baby spinach, and small ripe grape tomatoes.

I made the grits with my favorite Anson Mills stone-ground grits, Boursin and a little cheddar cheese. When the grits were seasoned and ready, I added the raw shrimp. I watched as the shrimp turned from gray to pink and curled up just so.

A few minutes before I was ready to serve the dish, in went a few large handfuls of spinach. Just before I plated my new-fangled shrimp and grits, I topped the steaming bowl with sliced grape tomatoes and a quick grate of Parmesan cheese.

It was every bit as good as I hoped it would be! This is a perfect recipe for any meal—breakfast, brunch, dinner or lunch—or a southern cocktail party in the style of Nathalie Dupree. Thank you Nathalie for the inspiration and the new technique—I’ll never make it any other way.

*(if you are lucky enough to get Shem Creek or McClellanville, SC, shrimp, buy them fresh the day you are going to make these Shrimp and Grits.)

Shrimp and Grits with Spinach and Tomatoes

Anson Mills grits are hand milled to a coarser grind than commercially distributed grits and the corn is specially grown for maximize flavor. Even people, who think they don’t like grits, love these grits. You can cook them in milk for an authentic South Carolina low-country experience or in water as I do, and then add flavor with Boursin and cheddar cheese.

Serves 4

3-4 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Anson Mills Grits
½ wheel of Boursin cheese
½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
½-1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12-16 ounces fresh or IQF shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups baby spinach, cleaned and dry
½ cup grape tomatoes, cleaned and cut in half
Parmesan cheese

Bring water and butter to a soft boil in a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole. Add grits, stirring occasionally. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer over low heat alternating cooking with the lid on and off for 30-40 minutes or until soft but not mushy. If the grits get too stiff, add milk or water. The grits should be loose and creamy, not stiff.

Stir in Boursin, cheese, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add raw, thawed and peeled shrimp, stir and let simmer until cooked through. Just before serving, add the spinach and stir to wilt—this only takes about 2 minutes.

Serve in the pot you’ve made it in or transfer to a bowl and garnish the top with the tomatoes and a liberal grating of Parmesan cheese.

Serve piping hot.