Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits
Serves 4
What used to be a simple, fisherman's breakfast, in coastal regions of the American South where shrimp are plentiful, has become an all-day favorite around the country. It's an easy dish to make at home, especially if you take advantage of a rice cooker to prepare the grits (although it's not difficult on a stovetop, either)!
Ingredients
- Cheesy Grits:
- 1 cup yellow grits (polenta)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- Shrimp and Bacon:
- 5 ounces applewood smoked bacon (diced)
- 1 pound shrimp (16/20 count) (peeled and deveined)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 4 green onions (thinly sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce (more to taste)
Directions
- To cook grits in a rice cooker, combine grits, 3 1/2 cups water, and salt in the cooker; cook as for white rice. To cook on a stove top, bring water to a gentle boil. Stir in grits and salt and simmer gently about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally until soft and thick. To cooked grits, stir in cream and butter. Then, stir in cheese. Keep warm.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and fry, stirring often, until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving fat in skillet.
- Add shrimp to skillet with fat over medium heat. Cook about 1 minute. Flip shrimp over and add green onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook another minute or two, until shrimp are firm and pink. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, Tabasco, and bacon.
- To serve, spoon warm grits into a bowl. Top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.
Cook Tips
Nutrition
Amount Per Serving (based on 4 servings)- Calories: 650
- Fat: 36.0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0 g
- Cholesterol: 220.0 mg
- Sodium: 1790.0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 37.0 g
- Fiber: 2.0 g
- Added Sugars: 0.0 g
- Sugar: 2.0 g
- Protein: 41.0 g