Papa Ed's Shrimp and Grits

Recipe: By Marcus Samuelsson
Headnote and adaptation: By Leslie Brenner

This recipe for shrimp and grits is Marcus Samuelsson’s homage to his former executive chef at Red Rooster in Harlem, Ed Brumfield. Adapted from Samuelsson’s The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, the result is hands-down the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever had the pleasure to devour.

It includes okra, diced small, in a tomatoey sauce that’s a delicious counterpoint to rich, cheesy, creamy stone-ground grits. I’ve used fresh okra (as the recipe specifies) every time I’ve made it, but I suspect frozen okra would work fine if you want to make this when okra is out of season, or if you can’t find fresh. (I like to buy an extra pound of beautiful okra during the season, which I trim and freeze in a zipper bag, just to have for such moments. It freezes beautifully.) Just let it thaw before you dice it.

Shrimp or fish stock is also called for. I…