traditional shrimp and grits recipe
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Shrimp
pawning season
Shrimp are widespread and abundant. There are thousands of species adapted to a wide range of habitats. They can be found feeding near the seafloor on most coasts and estuaries, as well as in rivers and lakes. To escape predators, some species flip off the seafloor and dive into the sediment.[3] They usually live from one to seven years.[4] Shrimp are often solitary, though they can form large schools during the spawning season.[3][5]
They play important roles in the food chain and are an important food source for larger animals ranging from fish to whales. The muscular tails of many shrimp are edible to humans, and they are widely caught and farmed for human consumption. Commercial shrimp species support an industry worth 50 billion dollars a year,[3] and in 2010 the total commercial production of shrimp was nearly 7 million tonnes. Shrimp farming became more prevalent during the 1980s, particularly in China, and by 2007 the harvest from shrimp farms exceeded the capture of wild shrimp.
25 cm
There are significant issues with excessive bycatch when shrimp are captured in the wild, and with pollution damage done to estuaries when they are used to support shrimp farming. Many shrimp species are small as the term shrimp suggests, about 2 cm (0.79 in) long, but some shrimp exceed 25 cm (9.8 in). Larger shrimp are more likely to be targeted commercially and are often referred to as prawns, particularly in Britain.
AUTHENTIC SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND GRITS
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND GRITS
FIRST, GET SOME NICE, PLUMP SHRIMP
You want the nice, big, pretty shrimp: a 15-20 count like in my shrimp scampi recipe. These babies are the main star of our shrimp and grits so we want them to be a nice size.
I used wild-caught Red Royal shrimp since they’re local and fresh here in Florida, but I do suggest you use frozen shrimp if you’re not comfortable with fresh, since health and safety is incredibly important when dealing with seafood, especially shrimp since it goes bad quickly.
To learn how to choose fresh shrimp and what’s up with frozen shrimp, click here.
SEASON YOUR SHRIMP AND GRITS WELL
There are plenty of ways to season your shrimp, don’t be afraid to play with some old bay, some cajun seasoning, add in that holy trinity, whatever you want. I like giving it some flavor with a little bacon fat.
It’s optional, but since I’m usually making bacon with a big breakfast anyway, I melt in the butter with my reserved bacon fat and it’s just amazingly delicious.
Seriously, don’t skip the bacon. Put some chopped bacon in your shrimp and grits, too; it’s a delicious addition and adds a nice crunchy texture to those tender, plump shrimp and the creamy grits.
Old Charleston-Style Shrimp and Grits
What Is Shrimp and Grits?
Shrimp and grits is a Southern dish from the Lowcountry of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. It’s traditionally served at breakfast, but you can often find it on lunch or dinner menus. Nobody is quite sure when the ingredients were first served together, but the first known published recipe appeared in the 1950 edition of Charleston Receipts (the oldest Junior League cookbook still in print).
How to Make Shrimp and Grits
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect:
Cook Grits
Boil grits with half-and-half until thick, creamy, and tender. Remove from heat, set aside, and keep warm.
Marinate Shrimp
A simple marinade of cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt makes perfectly flavorful shrimp that doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients.
Cook Meat and Veggies
Cook sausage in a skillet until brown. Remove the sausage from the skillet and replace with bacon. Cook bacon in the skillet until evenly browned, drain on paper towels, then chop or crumble when the bacon is cool enough to handle. Cook bell peppers, onion, and garlic in the bacon drippings.
When veggies are tender, return the cooked sausage to the skillet along with the marinated shrimp.
Make a Roux
Whisk melted butter and flour over medium heat until you have a smooth, golden roux. Pour the roux over the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables in the skillet.
Finish Sauce
Add chicken broth, bacon, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Stir until sauce thickens and shrimp is bright pink.
Assemble and Serve
Finish the grits by mixing in Cheddar cheese. Spoon the grits onto plates, then top with the saucy shrimp mixture.
Ingredients
Directions
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Season shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper. Add lemon juice, toss to combine, and set aside to marinate.
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Place sausage slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove sausage from the skillet.
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Add bacon to the same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop or crumble when cool enough to handle. Leave bacon drippings in the skillet.
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Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
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Stir cooked sausage and marinated shrimp into the skillet with the cooked vegetables. Turn off the heat and set aside.
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Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, stirring to create a smooth roux. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is golden brown in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, mixture burns easily.
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Pour the roux over the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. Place the skillet over medium heat, add chicken broth, bacon, and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Cook until sauce thickens up and shrimp turn opaque and bright pink, about 8 minutes.
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Just before serving, mix Cheddar cheese into grits; stir until cheese melted and grits are creamy and light yellow.
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Spoon grits onto plates and serve shrimp mixture over top.
traditional shrimp and grits recipe
Creamy Shrimp and Grits
Key Ingredients for Shrimp and Grits
It’s crucial that for this recipe your shrimp with bacon sauce and grits flavored well on their own so that they work well together. The last thing you want plain grits with under-seasoned shrimp.
For the creamy grits, you’ll need: 2 cups milk, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup quick cooking grits, 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste), 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or more to taste), 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. The milk, butter, and cheese help make these grits super creamy, while the chicken broth and dry seasonings make them super flavorful, but not so much so that they would overpower the sauce.
bacon sauce
For the shrimp and bacon sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients: 4 slices of bacon (I like thick-cut, but use whatever you prefer), 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 20 medium shrimp (deveined and shells removed, except for the tail), 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (or more to taste), 2 minced cloves garlic, 1/4 cup white wine, and 1/2 juiced lemon.
mellow grits
The best part of this shrimp and bacon sauce is that the flavors are built on top of each other, getting better with each ingredient. The foundation is built on the bacon and bacon grease, which gives the shrimp a rich, savory flavor profile. Then the garlic, butter, white wine, and lemon juice are added to deglaze the pan and meld with the shrimp and pork flavors. Simply put, this sauce is divine and pairs perfectly with the creamy, mellow grits.
Serve the shrimp and bacon sauce on a bed of the grits, then garnish with sliced green onions and a few dashes of hot sauce. Perfection!
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