Charleston Shrimp and Grits

By RoketJSquerl

Shrimp cooked in a “gravy” flavored with bacon, onion, bell pepper and scallions and then spooned onto a mound of peppery cheese grits. It’s like a party on a plate. To find Southerners with enough shrimp to eat them for breakfast, you have to move along the coast, especially to South Carolina, where fishermen first started bringing surplus shrimp home to eat with their grits.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Pounds Medium Shrimp, peeled, halved lengthwise, and deveined
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt or More to Taste
• 1 1/2 Cups Stone-ground Grits, not instant or quick-cooking
• 6 Thick Slices Bacon, chopped
• 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Scallions
• 2 Tablespoons Unbleached All-purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (1 to 2)
• 1 Cup Grated Medium to Sharp Cheddar Cheese (about 1/4 pound)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from ezrapoundcake.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Set aside.

2. For the Grits: In a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits a few handfuls at a time. (They will bubble up initially.) Reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end.

3. For the Gravy: While the grits are simmering, fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion and pepper are limp, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sauteing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and remaining salt and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the grits.

4. When the grits are thick and creamy, stir in as much of the butter as you wish, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like. Cover the grits while you finish the gravy.

5. Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, mounding the grits in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy.