Roasted Banana Grits with Seasoned Shrimp

I won't touch the "sweet-versus-salty-grits" debate, so I made these banana grits that combine a bit of both. I know, I know-hear me out. I actually dislike the taste of raw bananas, but when a banana gets roasted or baked, it acquires a wonderful buttery, a caramelized depth of flavor. This recipe was born in Ghana for East End Bistro, a casual restaurant in Acera for which I consulted on the opening menu.

In Ghana, bananas are shorter and quite stubby, and pack so much sweetness. We received what seemed like a ton of these bananas from our purveyor, and my first idea was to roast most of them and use the puree as a base for our brunch service, where some of the best sweet-savory dishes live. The roasted banana brings a unique flavor to the grits that's well balanced by garlic and shallots. The grits are finished with a soft cheese that complements their texture and creates a creamy lusciousness at the same time.

This is a perfect brunch party dish when served with shrimp and a poached or fried egg on each plate. Leftover grits can be used to make griddled grit cakes or saved and warmed for later.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Grits

• 3 medium ripe bananas in their peels

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

  Ghana to the World: Recipes and Stories That Look Forward While Honoring the Past Eric Adjepong

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 large shallot, finely diced

• 4 cups whole milk

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 cups white stone ground grits (medium or finely ground)

• 2 tablespoons mascarpone

Shrimp

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

• 12 large (U16-20; about ¾ pound) shrimp, peeled with the tail left on, and deveined

• 2 tablespoons All-Day Seasoning Blend

• Kosher salt

• 6 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts), for garnish

• Fried egg, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Make the grits: Place the bananas on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, flipping the bananas halfway through, until the skins are evenly dark, 10 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet. When they're cool enough to handle, peel and place in a blender. Blend, adding water by the teaspoon as needed, to create a puree. You should have about 1½ cups. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat until the butter starts to melt. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté, stirring, until the vegetables soften and become fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high then add the milk, cream, chicken stock, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil.

Gradually add the grits while whisking. Once the grits are fully incorporated, reduce the heat to low. Cook the grits, whisking frequently and adding a bit more stock or water a few tablespoons at a time if the grits become too dry, until completely tender, about 20 minutes. Pull the pot off the heat. Whisk in ½ cup of the banana puree, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and the mascarpone. Add more banana puree for more pronounced flavor. Set aside and keep warm. (Leftover banana puree will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)

Make the shrimp: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the seasoning blend and a pinch of salt. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring often, until they are pink and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Divide the roasted banana grits among 6 bowls. Add 2 shrimp to each bowl, garnish with scallions and fried egg if desired, and serve right away.

“Ghana to The World” Copyright © 2025 by Eric Adjepong. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Doaa Elkady. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

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