Give grits (and shrimp) a chance!

Shrimp and grits.  This is something that I've heard about my whole life but never actually ate until a year or 2 ago. Its a dish that in the past was a fisherman's breakfast in South Carolina, but is now popular for any meal. My recipe differs from the traditional, but I think its a bit  of lighter fare. Grits are something that I've always shied away from, they were always a big blob of goo to me.  That is until some friends of mine had me over just to try it.  I was SOLD!!  If you make grits correctly they are creamy, yummy goodness.  Add cheese to it and what could better. Grits are an underrated starch that more people should try. I'm using quick grits, which die hards probably frown upon but you can make them just as creamy. They are actually low in fat and not bad for you either! I hope that if you are not a fan of grits that you will give this recipe a chance!

Here is a go at my tutorial:

First off the ingredients:

For the shrimp
I got 1 lb. of the 21-25 count de-headed shrimp ( I am a sucker for sales and these were nice looking and a good deal at $7.99 lb) I only used 1/2 and am freezing the rest for later
1/2 yellow pepper diced
2 green onions sliced thinly
4 or 5 mushrooms sliced
1 lemon zested and save the juice for later
4 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic and to me there's no such thing as too much, plus its good for your heart)
2 slices bacon diced
1 tablespoon butter (I used a canola/butter blend)

For the Grits:
3 cups Water
3/4 cup quick cooking grits
1 teaspoon salt
about 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded, more or less depending on how cheesy you want it

Preparation:

If you bought whole shrimp you'll have to de-vein them or you should just because its poo for lack of a better word.  Otherwise just buy them already de-veined.  It does take a awhile to shell them and devein.  There is one vein going down the back of the shrimp, this is the poo one.  Take your pearing knife and just cut a tiny bit into the shrimp in a line down the back, or go farther down and have a butterflied shrimp :).  You can see the vein and just take your finger and run it down and get all the brown stuff out.  I also did the one on the underside of the shrimp as well.

Next, dice your veggies, zest the lemon and slice the bacon and cube or shred the cheese. Make sure you either save the bacon for last or use a different cutting board to avoid cross contamination.

Ok, so for the grits, add 3 cups of water and about a teaspoon salt to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Slowly whisk in the grits into the water.  Cover and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.  Once they are looking creamy add about a tablespoon butter, some pepper and a splash of milk and whisk in.  Then add your cheese and again, whisk until the cheese melts and you get that creamy consistency.  If the grits are too thick just add more butter and milk a little at a time.  If you want them cheesier, add more cheese.  Cover your grits and its time to start the shrimp part of your meal!

 Don't be afraid to make the flavor to your liking!

 You want to render the fat from the bacon but not over cook it.  When the bacon is crisp remove from the pan and place on a paper towel.

Once the bacon is removed, turn down the heat and add a good tablespoon of butter and let melt in the pan. Then add your peppers, mushrooms, lemon zest and garlic and saute' until tender. About 5 minutes.

Once the veg is tender move to the side of the pan and place your shrimp in careful not to over crowd. Cook your shrimp on one side until you just see the pink on the sides.  Then turn over the shrimp with some tongs.  If some of the shrimp cook a little faster just pile on to your veggies.

Once all the shrimp is cooked, add the bacon back to the pan and squeeze the lemon juice over the top of the shrimp and veggies, let saute for just a minute longer.

To serve:

Place a good heaping spoonful of grits into a boat or a nice big plate.  Place a scoop of the veggies on top and add a couple of shrimp to the top of that.  Then just get a bit of the sauce and drizzle it over and around the grits. 

And there you have it!  See not super hard and it just melts in your mouth.  Its tart, and shrimpy and creamy and just plain good!

Give grits a chance.

Please let me know if my directions aren't thorough enough, I'd like more input please!!