Weeknight Shrimp and Grits
 
 
by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quick grits
  • Scant teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) extra-sharp cheddar, grated
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 4 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound large frozen shrimp, preferably wild Gulf thawed* thawed, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 2 large scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • ½ lemon
  • Ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Bring 4 cups (1 quart) of water and salt to boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or small Dutch oven. Whisk in the grits; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, until sputtery thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in cheese until melted, cover and keep warm.
  2. Meanwhile, fry bacon until crisp in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer bacon to a paper towel and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the drippings. Return skillet to heat; add shrimp; saute until opaque and curly, just a couple of minutes. Add scallions, garlic, and bacon; saute until fragrant, a minute or so longer. Add ¼ cup or so of the reserved shrimp liquid—see note above--or water and a generous squeeze of lemon juice to taste to create a little sauce. Continue to cook to heat through, just a few seconds. Remove from heat. Spoon a portion of grits into each of 4 bowls. Top with a portion of shrimp and serve immediately.
Notes
I buy individually quick-frozen (IQF) wild Gulf shrimp in 2-pound bags and thaw them as needed. For this dish I save the thawed shrimp liquid to use as stock to moisten the dish. If you’re not starting with raw shrimp, simply add a little water to the dish in place of the shrimp juice.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/recipes/meaty-mains/weeknight-shrimp-and-grits/