This being December its fair to say there is a likely chance you'll be entertaining or going to someone's house for the holidays. This months Vine and Dish hopes to answer the sinister question of what to cook/bring? You'll want to prepare something that is well-liked but uncomplicated, easy to make and serve. Why not stick with a little southern tradition with low country style? Shrimp and Grits is the perfect dish for sharing family style. Its sophisticated due to its fame and status its achieved with top chefs and its is a nice break from all the meat laden tables you've probably sat at since Thanksgiving.

Like most trendy dishes shrimp and grits has a humble beginning. It started out as a dish that was typically eaten by fisherman in the coastal south. For obvious reasons it was most popular during shrimping season – typically from May to December. Grits of course have a much longer history in the US – they started out as hominy, which came from corn and was at originally cultured by American Indians. They would coarsely grind corn to a "gritty" texture. Native Americans also used it as currency with new settlers in America in the 17th century. It was a unifier of people teaching them the love of indigenous foods as well as year round survival. Being that corn is a twelve-month crop its uses were countless throughout the year.

The simple low country seafood breakfast became symbolic of Southern cooking after Craig Claiborne wrote about a chef named Bill Neal of Crook's Corner Restaurant in North Carolina for the New York Times in 1985. The dish has had hundreds of incarnations since then from all regions of the south. This version is simple and creamy.

It pairs perfectly with the 2011 Chester Gap Cuvee from Chester Gap Cellars near Front Royal. The wine is a blend of about 2⁄3 Petit Manseng and 1⁄3 Viognier, it has a wonderful hint of pineapple which combines acidity to match the shrimp with richness of the mascarpone and the grits. The winery itself is located in the northern most tip of Rappahannock County. The winery sits tall with its elevation over 1000 feet giving dramatic views of the blue mountains and the hills of southeast Piedmont.

So happy holidays from The Dish – keep spreading the culinary love of Virginia. Till next year – Happy Cooking!

VIRGINIA PIEDMONT SHRIMP & GRITS

This dish is a take on a low country classic. Shrimp and grits

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 thyme sprigs
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
24 16/20 (that's the size and there should be 16 – 20 ea per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 dozen brussels sprouts
1 cup Tamworth bacon or other smoked bacon, diced
1 cup shallots, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the mascarpone grits:
2 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups coarse ground Byrd Mill Grits or other coarse ground grits
1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare the shrimp: Take a baking sheet or half-sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with thyme sprigs and sliced garlic cloves.

Place shrimp onto the sheet and drizzle with additional olive oil, then sprinkle on the lemon zest. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and refrigerate while preparing the grits.

Prepare the grits: Bring milk, cream and butter to a simmer. Sprinkle in the grits and stir gently for 45 minutes on low heat until cooked.

Add seasoning and mascarpone cheese. Keep grits warm.

Finish the dish: Separate the leaves from the sprouts, tearing them from the root base. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add leaves and cook 1 minute, drain and shock in ice water. Drain again.

Heat a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. Add bacon, shallots and butter. Cook 3 minutes, then add the sprout petals and cook until warmed thoroughly.

Preheat a broiler to high. Place shrimp under broiler and cook until heads are pink and shrimp is firm to touch, approximately 4 minutes.

Take 4 large plates, spoon grits into center of each dish, top with sprouts and bacon. Place a set of 6 roasted shrimp on top of the sprouts and serve immediately. Serves 4.