Chef John’s Shrimp and Grits

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Description

Shrimp and grits is a very simple recipe, but make sure you have everything ready before you start cooking the shrimp. They only take a few minutes to sauté, so you don’t have time to run and chop scallions or juice a lemon. Once everything is assembled, this recipe is a snap. To make things even easier, you can make the grits a bit ahead since they stay hot a very long time.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white grits
  • ½ cup shredded white Cheddar cheese
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced green onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat
  2. turning occasionally
  3. until almost crisp
  4. 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer bacon to a dish
  5. leaving drippings in the skillet.
  6. Whisk 1/4 cup water
  7. cream
  8. lemon juice
  9. and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl.
  10. Stir 4 cups water
  11. butter
  12. and 1 teaspoon salt together in a pot; bring to a boil. Whisk grits into pot
  13. bring to a simmer
  14. reduce heat to low
  15. and cook until grits are creamy
  16. 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir white Cheddar cheese into grits.
  17. Place shrimp in a large bowl and season with Cajun seasoning
  18. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  19. black pepper
  20. and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  21. Heat skillet with bacon drippings over high heat. Cook shrimp in hot bacon fat in a single layer for 1 minute. Turn shrimp and add jalapeno; cook until fragrant
  22. about 30 seconds. Stir cream mixture
  23. bacon
  24. green onion
  25. and garlic to shrimp mixture; cook and stir
  26. adding water as necessary to thin the sauce
  27. until shrimp are cooked through
  28. 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
  29. Ladle grits into a bowl and top with shrimp and sauce.

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Servings: 4

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