This is a Carolina classic that works because the shrimp are tender, the gravy is silky and the grits are the creamiest you have ever had. To ensure the shrimp were tender, we par-cook them in the rendered bacon fat. Then set them aside while we made a light gravy of shrimp stock, bacon, garlic, lemon, and Tabasco, then finish the cook of the shrimp directly in the gravy. For the best results and creamiest grits, we found that toasting them before adding the wet ingredients help draw out the most corn flavor. To garnish, finish with some scallions and a fresh jolt of Tabasco and it’s amazing.
Shrimp and Grits
2016-11-13 11:50:04
Serves 4
Grits
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup grits
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Shrimp
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds extra-large raw shrimp (U21-25's - the number per pound), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, plus extra for service
- 5 scallions, sliced thin
Grits
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the grits and cook, stir them often until they smell like corn. About 3 minutes.
- Add the milk, water and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Increase the heat to a med-high and bring this to a boil.
- Reduce to a low heat, cover and simmer. Whisk often and allow to become thick and creamy. Cooking time is about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining tablespoons of butter, and season with kosher salt and pepper to your taste. Cover and keep warm.
Shrimp
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Add the shrimp shells and allow to cook, stir, until the shells start to turn a spotty brown color. This will take about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 30 seconds to allow the tomato paste to deepen and darken in flavor. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer the shells for 5 minutes.
- Strain the shrimp stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, press on the solids to get as much of the liquid as you can; discard the solids. You should yield about 1 1/2 cups stock (add more water if needed to get to the 1 1/2 cups). Clean your skillet with paper towels.
- Cook the bacon in the now empty skillet over a medium heat, until crisp. About 8 minutes. Increase the heat a medium-high heat and stir in the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the edges of the shrimp are just starting to turn pink, but not cooked through, this will take about 2 minutes. Transfer the par-cooked shrimp to a bowl.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the empty skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Slowly whisk in the stock until it has been incorporated. Allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat to a medium an allow to simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp, cover and cook until the shrimp have cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Off the heat stir the lemon juice, Tabasco ad the remaining butter. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over the grits, sprinkled with the scallions and extra Tabasco for taste.
Adapted from Cooks Country
Adapted from Cooks Country
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