Chef Scott Hays, The Crossroads Steakhouse

Ever since Chef Scott Hays took over the kitchen at CrossRoads Steakhouse in Walla Walla, he has brought more freshness to the menu: everything is now made from scratch; more fresh vegetables are used as ingredients; he's added more sauces and has transformed the menu from a conventional steakhouse fare to more of "country cooking."

Trained at South Seattle Community College school of Culinary Arts, Hays moved to the Valley five years ago to be a member of The Marc Restaurant kitchen. He was the lunch chef at the old Creektown Café before arriving at CrossRoads. Hays most enjoys the creative aspect of cooking, citing the intrigue of taking fresh ingredients and putting them together in a new way, bringing out new flavors.

Hays' goal with the menu at CrossRoads is to provide dishes with levels of flavor while still providing "down-to-earth food." The menu also includes its share of fish. Salmon is always available with trout and catfish specials appearing often. Still, CrossRoads is for beef lovers, as Hays points out that currently the most popular dish is Steak Oscar with Crab and béarnaise sauce.

Hays has chosen Shrimp and Grits with Brown Ale and Honey as his feature dish for us. Chef Hays says it's spicy with garlic and Cajun spice mixed in, but the ale and the honey bring a bite and sweetness to the dish respectively, offering a myriad of flavors. The dish can be served as an appetizer or a full entrée.

For more information on CrossRoads Steakhouse visit: http://www.crossroadssteakhouse.com/

Shrimp and Grits with Brown Ale and Honey

Ingredients:

Polenta
1 cup polenta
2 cup milk
2 cup stock or water
1 table spoon minced garlic
1 table spoon of fresh rosemary finely chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp
1 pound shrimp
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoon blackening or Cajun seasoning
2 table spoon olive oil
¼ stick of butter
½ cup of beer (I use Anchor Steam but it's your choice)
¼ cup of honey

Preparation

Polenta:
Bring milk and stock to a boil in a pan along with the garlic and rosemary. Pour in the polenta in a steady stream while whisking. Continue stirring until it begins to thicken. Stir in parmesan and seasoning.

Shrimp:
In a hot sauté pan, add oil, garlic, seasoning and shrimp; sear the shrimp on one side. When shrimp is cooked half-through, turn them over and add the beer. Reduce the beer by half (if the shrimp are cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside); add the honey and let that reduce to almost a syrup over medium heat; turn the heat off and whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper and return shrimp to the pan; pour it all over the polenta and garnish with some sliced chives.