By Jennifer Villaume, Beyond Imagination Vacations Travel Planner
I am a food and wine lover. I mean – anywhere there is amazing food and wine, you’ll find me and my partner Shannon there. Whether it’s enjoying our favorite eateries in our hometown of Baton Rouge, LA or exploring the bevy of award-winning restaurants in nearby New Orleans for a weekend.
Because we both love Walt Disney World Resort AND consider ourselves foodies, Shannon and I make sure that we visit the most magical place on Earth during Epcot’s seasonal festivals. Not just for kids, Food & Wine Festival, Flower & Garden Festival and Festival of the Arts features gourmet samplings from around the world.
While we practice social distancing at home, we thought it was the perfect time to try some new dishes and pairings inspired by what we’ve tasted during Flower & Garden Festival AND from our favorite restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Hollywood Brown Derby.
Carne Guisada with Black Bean Cake and Cilantro Lime Sour Cream and Spicy Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits with Brown Gravy and Local Sweet Corn Relish from the Florida Fresh Outdoor Kitchen at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
Throwback to last year’s Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. Shannon and I decided to stop by the Florida Fresh Outdoor Kitchen. We tried the Carne Guisada with Black Bean Cake and Cilantro Lime Sour Cream as well as the Spicy Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits with Brown Gravy and Local Sweet Corn Relish. Because I’m an oenophile too, I paired the dishes with the Florida Orange Groves Winery Key Lime Sparkling Wine from St. Petersburg. The food was fresh and not too heavy to savor on a hot Orlando day. The sparkling wine perfectly cut the creaminess of the cheesy grits. Everything was delicious.
Shrimp and Grits presented by The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Later in our trip, we made our regular stop at The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In keeping with our Florida seafood theme, Shannon ordered the Shrimp and Grits (along with the Margarita Trio flight). A bit more refined than our earlier sampling, the Brown Derby’s version, as described from the menu, features “Andouille-crusted Shrimp, Cotswald Chive and Onion Grits, Poblano Cream Sauce, and Espellette Oil.” Although the Florida Fresh version was cleaner, the Brown Derby rendition of shrimp and grits was outstanding too!
Having some extra time on my hands lately, I decided this week to tackle the shrimp and grits recipe from the Florida Fresh booth and incorporate ideas from the Brown Derby version.
Recipe and ingredients for making Shrimp and Grits inspired by the Florida Fresh Outdoor Kitchen and The Hollywood Brown Derby
Using my copy of the Disney Festival cookbook and our collective memories, I piled all my ingredients on the counter - and we got to work. We “winged” some of it, and in other parts we followed the recipe exactly. Did I mention that I’m allergic to garlic? Yep. Limits my ingredients, but I have learned to adapt with other spice blends. We added a “slurry” into the gravy to thicken it up. Come on, we are from the South! And, we decided to fry the shrimp, like the Brown Derby. My pan was too hot so I did burn the shrimp a bit, but I must say it was awesome!
Getting started …
Finished product
I paired this with a Pinot Gris because the dominant fruit flavors are lime, lemon, pear and nectarine, with a great medium acidity which balances the sharp flavors of the cheese, sausage and spicy notes of the Cajun seasoning. You could also pair a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or even a sparkling wine like I did at the Florida Fresh booth. If you like your food spicy, go for a semi-dry wine to balance the heat.
I must say, we had a great time bringing a little Disney magic to the kitchen! Try it for yourself, and let us know what you think. Cheers!