Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits is one of those iconic Southern dishes that stir something deep inside those who grew up with them.

Originally from the oceanic South—Georgia, the Low Country coast of the Carolinas and Gulf Coast states all have their versions—this homey bowl of awesome was historically a simple fisherman’s breakfast: Grits, with some bacon and a few shrimp tossed on top.

If you’ve ever eaten it, you can understand why shrimp and grits has burst from the seaside shrimp shanties.

The grits are soft, buttery, and often cheesy, with a savory, bacon-studded sauce surrounding them, and lots and lots of shrimp. Maybe some parsley or green onions for color and crunch.

My recipe is an amalgam of all my best experiences with shrimp and grits. If it has a direct inspiration though, it would be the rendition I ate in 2011 made by Chef Linton Hopkins of the Atlanta restaurant Holeman & Finch.

I never got his recipe, and I make no claim to have the One True shrimp and grits recipe, but I can vouch for how this one tastes.

And while it may seem obvious, shrimp and grits all starts with the grits. Please, please, please try to get coarsely ground white corn meal for this. When Elise and I tried to find real grits (stone ground are best), or even coarse ground white corn… or any white corn, for that matter, we struck out here in Sacramento.

Other than Mexican masa harina, it’s all yellow corn in these parts. And I’ve heard more than one Southerner threaten violence when the topic of making grits with yellow corn comes up. (Here are the white grits we use.)

The best grits come from hominy, a large-kerneled, white corn that has been alkali processed just like that Mexican masa harina. The key difference is that in grits the corn be coarsely ground, ideally by a stone grinding wheel. It actually makes a huge difference in flavor.

Good grits come out smooth, delicate and flecked with bits of the corn hulls that makes for a radically different experience compared to its Italian cousin polenta (which I also love).

Keep in mind that almost all cooks who make shrimp and grits have their own variation on the dish. This one is mine, and I hope you like it.

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup stone-ground white grits
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 thick slices bacon
• 1 cup chopped white or yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 green onions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• Juice of a lemon, about 1-2 Tbsp

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