Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite meals in the world. Given the choice, I would eat this dish over a prime rib. You see, I was raised for half of my life on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where fresh shrimp are sweet and plentiful. And as much as I love those shrimp, the star of this rich and creamy dish really is the grits. We still have a working grits mill here in my hometown, and that’s where I get mine.
SERVES 8
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarse-ground grits (such as stone-ground)
2 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3 cups heavy cream
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 green onions, sliced
1. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the Old Bay.
2. In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups water and the salt to a boil. Gradually stir in the grits and reduce the heat to medium. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until just crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
4. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add the garlic to the bacon fat in the pan. Cook the garlic until you can smell it, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook, turning, until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and garlic to a bowl. Reserve the skillet.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 cups of the heavy cream. Add the corn and bring to a simmer. Cook until the corn is softened, about 10 minutes.
6. Stir the creamed corn into the cooked grits. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until well blended, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan.
7. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into the skillet over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and garlic and bacon pieces. Cook for 1 minute to heat through.
8. Pour the grits onto a platter. Top with the shrimp and cream sauce and garnish with the green onions.