Foodie Fridays: Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits

From Dine with a Darling

For Labor Day, I made Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits for my husband, since he loves this classic Southern dish.  While I am not as big a fan (if I must eat my shrimp with a starch, I prefer pasta or rice) and I had never made it before, the recipe is really quite easy and even I enjoyed it.  We were in Charleston in the spring, and I got this recipe from a lovely little print I bought from Joyce's Choices at the Charleston City Market.  I did modify it just a bit, using pancetta instead of bacon, and stirring in a few tablespoons of some Sticky Fingers Smokehouse Carolina Classic Barbecue Sauce I purchased recently at the local Kroger supermarket instead of Tabasco sauce for a little heat that is not overwhelming.  I had some extra raw shrimp, so I even made another version using leftover chorizo sausage instead of bacon.  Since the first batch of grits is all but gone now, I will make more grits using heavy cream rather than cheese from a recipe I found here.  I may just learn to love shrimp and grits yet!

Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits

4 C. water

1 C. stone-ground grits

3 T. butter

2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

6 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced

16 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 T. minced fresh parsley

4 tsp. lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper to taste

Bring the water to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then the grits.  Cook, stirring, for 20-25 minutes (or according to package directions).  Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and cheese, cover, and set aside.

Brown the diced bacon in a skillet, then remove and set aside.  Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook until tender.  Stir in the shrimp and cook for a few minutes until they turn pink (do not overcook).  Add the next three ingredients plus the reserved bacon and cook one minute.  Remove from the heat and season to taste with the Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper.

To serve, pour a serving of grits into a bowl and top with some shrimp.  Serves 6.