Shrimp & Grits

Shrimp and grits has to be one of the best Southern comfort foods out there

The key is really fresh shrimp and creamy grits

Folks from the South have strict rules on their grits and once you taste authentic Southern style grits you will never go back

This particular recipe has two main components so my wife and I decided to collaborate

We split the dish up so we could move things along

She ran with the grits which is what we will cover first

To work on the grit recipe on it’s own click the below link

Southern Cheesy Grits

Measure out 2 cups each of whole milk and water.  We’ll need one cup of grits, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, one teaspoon of black pepper, 4 ounces of sharp cheddar and 4 tablespoons of butter.  Of course

Add the water and milk to a medium saucepan, season with a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil over medium high heat

Add in the grits, whisk and lower heat to medium-low.  You’ll want to stir every few minutes to make sure the grits are not sticking.  Reduce to low if they seem to be cooking too quickly AKA: sticking

Cook for 25 minutes and then stir in the butter, black pepper and remainder of the kosher salt.  Whisk to incorporate

Now for the cheese.  Yes, the beloved cheese

Since you’ve put so much time and effort into this delicious recipe, I’m going to STRONGLY suggest that you shred your own sharp cheddar.  It melts much better than the pre-packaged shredded cheese and adds such creaminess.  Just trust me

Whisk in the cheddar and oh my…

Okay…that’s it for the grits so let’s set them aside for now and talk shrimp!

We are starting off with 2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp

I’m going to toss these with about 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning

You can buy this in a store or easily make it yourself by clicking on the link below

Simply Sunday’s Cajun Seasoning

Set the shrimp aside for now

Next we will need 3 strips of bacon

Give the bacon a chop

Cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy, around 6 minutes

Remove to a bowl lined with paper towels

Drain off some of the bacon fat from the pan but not all of it

Lay the shrimp in the pan, trying not to over crowd them

Cook for 2-3 minutes

Flip and cook another 2 minutes or until firm and opaque

Remove the shrimp and set aside

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan

Next we will need 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves

Peel and chop the onion, chop the peppers and garlic

Add the veggies to the pan and cook stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes

Next we will need 1/4 cup of flour, 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of Red Hot and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

Click the link below to make your own stock

Homemade Chicken Stock

Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir them until the flour cooks for a bit and is lightly browned

Add in the stock, Red Hot and Worcestershire Sauce and stir to combine

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken around 3-4 minutes

Add the shrimp back

Stir to combine and cook another 2-3 minutes

Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

I have seen many shrimp and grits recipes where the bacon was left in the whole time

However I like to have a crunchy texture on the plate so I reserved the bacon as a garnish along with fresh chopped parsley and scallions

Scoop some delicious cheesy grits onto a plate and top with the shrimp

Sprinkle with the reserved bacon, parsley and scallions and jump in!

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board

Lodge Cast Iron Pan

OXO Good Grips Fish Turner

Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set

Royal Classique Grade Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set

Farberware Classic Series Stainless Steel 3-Quart Covered Saucepan

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

OXO Good Grips Box Grater

OXO Good Grips Silicone Garlic Peeler with Stay-Clean Storage Case

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