Kitchen Experiments: Shrimp with Grits

I was skeptical about grits. I was extra skeptical about the combination of shrimp and grits. But, my skeptical-ness was misplaced- this meal was delicious!

The first and only time I ate grits previous to this experiment was a family vacation to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg, VA. Our hotel in VA served a continental breakfast and, ever the adventurous eater, I tried the grits. To say they were completely disgusting is putting it mildly. I also wasn't impressed with biscuits and gravy and decided to abandon Southern cooking. Then I started dating Joe, who grew up mostly in Georgia and enjoys things like sweet tea and grits. And since I was feeling more than a little guilty about disregarding foods disliked by Joe in other meals. So, I set out to learn how to make grits and when I stumbled across this recipe for shrimp and grits, I figured it was perfect. I made a few small alterations, but the recipe below mostly follows that printed in Duke Magazine.

I was surprised, but I actually really enjoyed this recipe. The shrimp mixture was deliciously flavorful and the grits, which mostly tasted like cheese, provided an excellent foil. One word of caution, make sure you use gluten-free grits. I accidentally grabbed a package of Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits and I have the rash to prove those were contaminated with gluten. It was a good lesson, I should know better than to grab without looking. And now Joe has a nearly full bag of grits all to himself!

Shrimp and Grits
(Serves 4)

• Cheese grits (recipe below)
• 1 lb fresh shrimp
• 6 slices bacon
• olive oil
• 2 cups sliced white button mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced scallions
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• fresh lemon juice
• Tabasco sauce
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Prepare the grits and hold in a warm place.
Peel shrimp, rinse and pat dry.
Dice bacon and cook until barely crisp, set aside on paper towels.
Add 1/8 inch of olive oil to the pan. When hot, add shrimp in an even layer to the pan. Turn shrimp as they color, add mushrooms and saute, while stirring, for about four minutes.
Add scallions and garlic, heat and stir hot a minute more. Season with lemon juice, a dash or two of Tabasco, salt and pepper, and parsley - to taste.
Divide the grits among four plates. Spoon the shrimp on top, sprinkle with crumbled bacon, and serve immediately.*

Cheese Grits

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Corn Grits
• water and milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper
  
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• dash or two of Tabasco

Cook grits according to package directions, subsitute half of the water for milk to make creamier grits. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients to sauce pan. Stir until combined.

* To make this recipe Joe-friendly omit all but the shrimp, garlic, bacon, salt & pepper, parsley and lemon juice.