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This low country South Carolina dish is full of flavor.
If you've never cooked grits, be sure to get stone-ground grits. Instant
grits will just not do for this recipe and if you ask me are not fit for
consumption at any time.
Preparation Time: 1 hour Serving Size: 6
- 1 pound 21-30 count shrimp, peeled, deveined, shells
retained
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/3 cup celery, minced (usually 2-3 stalks)
- 1/2 cup green pepper, minced (usually just the sides
of a larger pepper)
- 1 cup green onions, chopped (usually 3-4 bunches)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
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- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- shrimp stock from retained shells
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter*, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream, heated
- Texas Pete hot sauce, to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter*
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
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images.
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Prepare grits as directed below. While grits are cooking,
place shrimp shells in a small pot and just cover with
water. Cook on low heat, do not boil, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, fry bacon in large
heavy bottomed skillet until crisp. Remove to paper towels
and drain, leaving grease in the pan. Still over medium
heat, add the celery, green pepper, green onions and garlic
to the skillet. Sauté 4-5 minutes. Add the fresh thyme and
bay leaves and sauté another 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste
and cook another 1 minute. Strain shells and add 1 cup of
shrimp stock and the wine to the vegetable mixture. Raise
heat to high and cook until liquid evaporates by half, about
5 minutes.
While reducing liquid, in a small bowl, use your fingers
to mash 3 tablespoons butter and flour together into a
paste. (This is referred to as a Beurre manié in French
cooking). Lower heat to medium low and stir the Beurre manié
slowly into the mixture. When totally incorporated, add
heated cream and stir well. Add hot sauce to taste. Simmer
slowly for 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another cast iron skillet, melt remaining 3
tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir fry shrimp
until they just start to turn pink, but do not cook through.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Pour shrimp mixture
into other skillet with cream sauce and stir to combine. Add
crumbled bacon and serve over creamy grits (below).
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Creamy Grits
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons butter*
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- 1 cup stone-ground grits
- kosher salt
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Combine water and milk in a large sauce pan with salt and
butter. Bring to a boil and slowly stir in grits. Stir well
to prevent lumps. Simmer on low for at least 30-45 minutes,
stirring often and adding water as necessary, until grits
are swollen and soft to the tooth. * 8 tablespoons in
total
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