Low Country Shrimp & Grits

In the North, we had shrimp and we had grits. But we never had shrimp and grits. While it’s a classic Southern dish, no one in my family, my neighborhood, or my community ever made it, talked about it, or offered it up as a potluck dish. Grits were for breakfast and shrimp were for special occasions. Most notably in my house as part of a shrimp cocktail ring that we’d devour on New Year’s Eve. It was my grandmother’s favorite.

Grits were the quintessential breakfast food – that old fashioned, stick to your ribs, fill up your belly with warmth kind of breakfast that was crucial on cold winter days. Put it with scrambled eggs and bacon and you had yourself a meal!

I distinctly remember my first exposure to shrimp and grits. We had lived in Georgia not quite two years, and it was time for the annual eighth grade field trip to Savannah, GA. We visited tons of historical sites, toured a bunch of homes from the Antebellum Era, walked under miles of Spanish Moss, and tried to catch wild horses on Tybee Island (spoiler alert – they were too fast for us). We ate lots of sack lunches and pizza and perused a lot of gift shops.

It was in one of these gift shops I found a seasoning sack with a recipe on how to make your own shrimp and grits. WHAT?! You mean people actually eat fancy proteins on simple breakfast food? It didn’t make any sense to me whatsoever – how had I never thought to combine two of my all time favorite foods? What was this seasoning sorcery? What do you mean I had to pay $12 for it? All I could think, was that it better be worth it considering it came with neither shrimp nor grits in the satchel. It was also the last of my “fun money” for the trip.

When I got home and showed it to my mom, she had pretty much the same reaction I did. But, ever patient, she promised we would make them soon and give Savannah’s famous dish a try. The pouch promptly sat in our pantry for the next 3 months. It’s not that we forgot about it or weren’t excited to try it, but we were understandable a little nervous and shrimp were expensive!

Finally, we picked one night over the summer to give it a go. My mom and I had time to shop and prep the ingredients and, worst case, it was the summertime so if it didn’t go according to plan we could order a cheap pizza and throw on a movie. Oh no, dear reader. There was no need for pizza. And there was no need for a backup meal. Because the shrimp and grits WERE DELICIOUS. If anything, all we needed was another pouch of mix so we could make more. Because there were absolutely zero leftovers. We pretty much licked our plates clean.

From that moment on, it was as if someone had lit a shrimp and grit fire in my belly, and to this day it still hasn’t burned out. I’ve eaten shrimp and grits the Charleston way, the Savannah way, the Creole way, with creamy gravies, with tomato broths, with rosemary barbecue sauces, head-on shrimp, head-off shrimp, baked shrimp and grits, shrimp and grits on fried green tomatoes, and any other way I can possibly imagine. I will eat it in restaurants, in homes, on the side of the road at a food truck, or anywhere else I can get my hands on it.

Most recently, I’ve fallen in love with a recipe that reminds me of a version of mashed potatoes my mom would make. Transferring the ingredients to the grits brings all of the same tasty flavors with a new mouthfeel and texture thanks to the grit base. Creole seasoning and red pepper flakes help to kick it up a notch. Feel free to adjust as necessary for your spice level preference. Hopefully, they’ll help light your fire for shrimp and grits too. 🙂

Low Country Shrimp & Grits

Serves 6 | Hands-On: 45 Minutes | Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

Grits

• 2 Tbs. Butter
• ½ Medium Yellow Onion (medium dice)
• ½ Green Bell Pepper (medium dice)
• ½ Red Bell Pepper (medium dice)
• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 1 Cup Old-Fashioned Grits
• 1.5 Cups Chicken Broth
• ¼ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Shrimp Sauce

• 3 Bacon Slices (medium dice)
• 3 Tbs. Butter
• ½ Medium Yellow Onion (medium dice)
• 1 Tbs. Minced Garlic
• ½ Poblano Pepper (minced)
• ½ lb. Large White Shrimp
• 4 tsp. AP Flour
• ½ Cup Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
• Creole Seasoning (to taste)
• Red Pepper Flakes (to taste)
• Parsley (optional – for garnish)

Steps

1. GRITS:
   1. Melt butter in a medium pot or enameled cast iron. Add onions and bell pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until caramelized (about 5 minutes).
   2. Stir in milk and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in grits and chicken broth. Return to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until thickened (about 15 minutes).
   3. Add cheeses and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. SHRIMP SAUCE:
   1. Render bacon in a large, rimmed skillet on medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon on to a plate and blot with paper towels to remove excess grease.
   2. Add butter to bacon fat in the skiller and melt. Stir in onion, garlic, and poblano pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent (about 3 – 4 minutes). Add shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink (about 3 – 5 minutes).
   3. Sprinkle flour over pink shrimp mixture and stir until it begins to thicken. Add stock, lemon juice, Creole Seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook until sauce begins to reduce and thicken up. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour shrimp sauce over grits, garnish with crispy bacon and parsley.
4. Enjoy!