Food & Cooking Recipes Appetizers Sara's Shrimp and Grit Cakes 3.7 (7) 2 Reviews By Martha Stewart Test Kitchen Martha Stewart Test Kitchen The recipes developed by our test kitchen team have undergone a rigorous process of development and testing, ensuring that every element is optimal, from ingredient amounts to method and cooking time. This process includes triple-testing recipes to ensure they meet our high standards. The many stellar cooks and food editors who have been part of our team include Sarah Carey, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Jennifer Aaronson, Shira Bocar, Anna Kovel, Greg Lofts, Riley Wofford, Lauren Tyrell, and Lindsay Leopold. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 28, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Yield: 24 cakes Sara Foster, owner of Foster's Market in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, shares her recipe for this twist on a Southern classic. Order seven pepper jelly from Foster's Market in North Carolina. Ingredients 6 cups water 2 ½ cups quick grits 5 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups) 1 tablespoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons salt 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper 2 bunches scallions, white and pale-green parts only (save greens for garnish), minced to equal ½ cup 12 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined, and cut in half lengthwise 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup yellow cornmeal Vegetable oil, for sauteing ½ cup Seven Pepper Jelly Directions Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Butter a 13-by-18-inch baking pan. Slowly sprinkle grits into boiling water, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium, and stir constantly until the mixture is thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and stir in cheese, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and scallions. Pour the mixture into prepared baking pan, and smooth out to a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Using a 2 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter, lightly mark out 24 circles in the grits. Press a shrimp half into each circle. Cover with plastic wrap, press down lightly to smooth, and refrigerate until set, 1 to 2 hours. Combine flour and cornmeal in a small bowl. Using a cookie cutter, cut the grits along the marked lines into rounds, keeping the shrimp centered in each circle. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon butter and enough oil to cover the bottom over medium-high heat. Dredge the cakes in the flour mixture, and saute, 8 at a time, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Wipe out the skillet, and repeat, adding more butter and oil, until all cakes are cooked. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Top with a scant teaspoon of Seven Pepper Jelly and scallion greens; serve warm. Rate it Print