Shrimp Ratatouille, Last Year's Seafood Winner

If your tired of take out seafood and have a spare 45 minutes to play in the kitchen, then the following recipe may be for you.

Showcasing sustainable, domestic seafood, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, with generous support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), presented the 2007 Great American Seafood Cook-Off last August and the 2008 contest is right around the corner.

Chefs from coast to coast prepared dishes made with Gulf shrimp, wild salmon, sea bass and other seafood representative of their states.
The second-place winner, Louisiana's Chef Tenney Flynn, showcased Louisiana red snapper, while the third-place winner, Massachusetts' Chef Michael Schlow, featured halibut.

The first-place winner, Georgia's Chef Tim Thomas, created the following dish using wild-caught Georgia shrimp and everyday ingredients designed for today's busy cook.

Shrimp Ratatouille With Boursin Cheese Grits
• Makes 6 servings

Shrimp:

35
large shrimp, peeled and deveined

6
cloves garlic, minced

2
tsp. chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper

1⁄4
cup olive oil

Grits:

4
cups milk

2
Tbsp. butter

1
cup quick grits

Salt and pepper

4
oz. Boursin cheese

Ratatouille:

1⁄4
cup olive oil

1
eggplant, peeled, large diced

1
onion, diced

3
cloves garlic, diced

1
green pepper, diced

4
oz. Michelob Bavarian Style Wheat beer

1
zucchini, diced

1
yellow squash, diced

2
tomatoes, diced

1
cup tomato juice

Basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Combine shrimp ingredients; marinate 30 minutes.
Boil milk and butter; add grits. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Add cheese; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add eggplant; cook 5 minutes or until brown. Drain excess oil. Add onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add beer; cook 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 10 minutes.
Just before serving, cook shrimp 30 seconds on each side. To serve, top grits with ratatouille, then shrimp.
For chef bios and recipes, visit www.GreatAmericanSeafood CookOff.com.