CHEF JOHN'S SHRIMP AND GRITS

Chef John's Shrimp and Grits image

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.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes Grits

Time 55m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 19

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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

Steps:

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until almost crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer bacon to a dish, leaving drippings in the skillet.
Whisk 1/4 cup water, cream, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl.
Stir 4 cups water, butter, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a pot; bring to a boil. Whisk grits into pot, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until grits are creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir white Cheddar cheese into grits.
Place shrimp in a large bowl and season with Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
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, about 30 seconds. Stir cream mixture, bacon, green onion, and garlic to shrimp mixture; cook and stir, adding water as necessary to thin the sauce, until shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
Ladle grits into a bowl and top with shrimp and sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 434.1 calories, Carbohydrate 33.2 g, Cholesterol 226 mg, Fat 19.5 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 30.1 g, SaturatedFat 10.6 g, Sodium 1498.5 mg, Sugar 0.5 g