Here in the South, shrimp and grits has always been something on the menu at a higher end restaurant. It is not an everyday dish that families just make for dinner. It is a soothing comfort food but usually only eaten when spending a night out on the town. Don't expect to visit your down south relatives and find this waiting on the table when you arrive, but boy oh boy is it easy to make and simple and quick and oh delicious. (Did I say enough 'ands'?)
Even though this is not an everyday dish, it sure is good. Grits are common enough here in Mississippi. It is a common breakfast meal that is similar to polenta. I would say it is like cream of wheat or something but it is coarser and grittier. I like mine with just a wee bit of pepper and salt with a pat of butter. It makes for some simple good eats. Really.
The good thing about grits is that it can be changed. You can add cheese, bacon, ham, gravy and it is the bomb.com. Add some fresh biscuits to the mix and oooooo-weeeeee, slap yo' mama gosh dang.
Seriously, easy to make and impress your friends and folks with this.
You will need:
4 cups of water
1 cup of uncooked grits
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of butter
2 cups of medium shrimp (peeled and no tail)
4 slices of bacon
2 slices of smoked porkchops/ham (diced)
1 tbsp of creole seasoning
1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
1 tsp of dried italian seasoning or chopped fresh parsley
In pot, bring water to a boil, add in salt and slowly begin stirring in the grits. Lower the heat to low-medium. The grits should start to bubble (be careful, these badboys are hot if they hit you). Stir regularly so they do not stick to the pot. Cook for ten minutes then lower the heat to low and cook for about 20 more minutes stirring regularly. Stirring will prevent the grits from lumping up and sticking to bottom of the pot. If your grits look too thick, slowly add in water, stirring until you get the consistency of a coarse pudding. Turn off the heat and cover.
In medium sauce pan on medium heat, add in butter and shrimp. Sprinkle with seasoning, worcestershire sauce, and add in bacon and porkchop pieces. Cook until bacon is done. Reduce heat. The shrimp mix should have made it's own gravy. If not enough, add in another dash of worcestershire and 2 tbsp of water.
You may need to add more creole seasoning. Don't be afraid to taste it to see if there is enough to your liking. I like well seasoned foods, so add more if you need to.
Spoon the grits into a bowl and top with a large spoonful of shrimp, bacon and ham and make sure you put some of that good ol' potlicker on it. (Once again, if your grits have gotten too thick--as they will thicken the longer they sit--add a little more water and stir to bring it back to a creamy nature) Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and garnish with a twig of rosemary. Serve with fresh biscuits and you have a winner.
Serves 4.
