Shrimp and Grits

Published on January 10, 2020 | By
shrimp and grits

I decided to go to the source. Enough of the hundreds of interpretations of shrimp and grits which include everything from andouille sausage and pork belly to too much cheese and butter, or a BBQ shrimp style sauce. I have been seeking the authentic and most original version of the simple fisherman’s breakfast of shrimp and grits with grits as the foundation or baseline and vehicle for the deep flavors of the sea paired with smoky bacon.

All roads in my exploration of the origins of shrimp and grits in this country led back to Chef Bill Neal and Crook’s Corner Restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Bill was inspired by this simple fisherman’s combination of shellfish and ground corn and perfected the recipe at Crook’s Corner in the 1980’s. There is much written on the true roots of the dish and whether or not it originated in Mozambique and then migrated to this country with slaves, or if it was conceived in the low-country of South Carolina.

In any case, it is clear that the recipe or the inception of the combination of shellfish and ground corn hail from Africa. Chef Bill Neal refined and  launched the recipe and we have seen many iterations and interpretations of what is best when it is left alone and kept simple. The recipe that I am posting is a version close to his and attributed to Robert Stehling, of Hominy Grill in the 1990’s.

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • For cheese grits:
  • 1 cup of stoneground grits
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup of grated cheddar
  • 1/4 cup of grated parmesan
  • 3 TBSP butter
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • For the shrimp:
  • 3 slices of bacon, chopped
  • cooking oil, as needed
  • 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled
  • 2 TBSP flour
  • 11/4 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin
  • 1 cup of seafood stock (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Slowly stir or whisk in grits and continue stirring until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Continue stirring and add a little more water if needed until fully cooked for about 30- 40 minutes.
  2. Remove pot from heat and add cheeses and butter and seasonings. Adjust to your taste. Cover to keep grits warm.
  3. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook chopped bacon, stirring until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve oil. Add more cooking oil at this point so that you will have approximately 11/2 TBSP of oil in the skillet.
  4. Toss shrimp lightly in flour shaking off excess. Place shrimp in pan over medium high heat and sauté until pink on both sides. Add mushrooms and bacon to skillet. Cook for a couple of more minutes. Then add garlic and stir so it does not brown.
  5. At this point, if you wish for the shrimp and grits to have more sauce, I would suggest adding a cup of seafood stock, preferably shrimp stock. If you add the stock, remove shrimp and allow the mushroom and bacon sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes over medium to high heat. Add cooked shrimp back to skillet. Remove skillet from heat. Add lemon juice, green onions and hot sauce.
  6. Spoon over cheese grits and serve immediately.
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