Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

• Grits with Cheese
• 1 cup quick-cooking grits
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• Shrimp
• 6 slices smoked bacon
• 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

Bring water to a boil; Add salt and slowly add semolina. Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and add butter, cream and cheddar cheese.
In a large pan over medium heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Place on paper towels to drain; Reserve the bacon fat.Once the bacon has cooled, chop it coarsely. Over medium heat, add shrimp to bacon fat. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper. After a minute, flip the shrimp over and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate.Add vegetable oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add red pepper and cook until slightly tender. 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the scallions and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice to the pan and stir.Add shrimp and bacon back to pan and heat for 1 minute.
Pour the grits into a bowl and add the shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

Notes

Quick grits are best for this recipe. Boil the water, then add salt and semolina.Bring to a boil and stir. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook until tender and creamy. Add cream, butter and sharp cheddar cheese. It’s that simple.
Use good quality smoked bacon and don’t throw away the bacon fat.Or, if you’d like, add some andouille sausage.
Use wild-caught, peeled and deveined shrimp. Place them in the bacon fat over medium heat. Don’t overcook them. You only need about a minute per side.In the second part of the recipe they are added back to the pan.
Sprinkle the spices over the shrimp while they are in the pan. It’s easy to make and ensures the shrimps brown.
Serve this recipe as quickly as possible. Shrimp do not reheat well.It can easily overcook and become rubbery.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals until warm.

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