| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 cups Shrimp Stock, recipe follows (see Cook’s Note) or vegetable stock
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup yellow stone-ground grits
- 1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced, for garnish
- Sauteed Shrimp (including the reserved garlic oil and bacon), recipe follows
- 5 cups raw shrimp shells, heads and tails (about 2 pounds), rinsed well
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 pound thick double-smoked cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 20 large (21 to 24 count) shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of the shrimp stock and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the grits are soft and have lost their gritty texture, whisking every few minutes, 25 to 35 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add the remaining stock and continue cooking until absorbed. Add the cheese and heavy cream and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the grits among 4 bowls and top with the sauteed shrimp. Drizzle with some of the garlic oil and bacon (reserved from the sauteed shrimp) and sprinkle with some of the scallions.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the shrimp shells, heads and tails, onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add 10 cups of cold water, the tomatoes, chipotle, bay leaf, parsley and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally, for 40 minutes.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the solids. The stock can be made 2 days in advance, tightly covered and refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Place bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook until golden brown and crisp and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet and place back on the heat. Increase the heat to high. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add to the skillet in a single layer, in batches, if needed, with the garlic and thyme, and cook, flipping once, until the shrimp are lightly golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate. Add the bacon to the garlic oil left in the skillet and reserve to drizzle over the finished dish.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 16 servings |
| Calories | 244 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 179 mg |
| Sodium | 734 mg |
Reviews
I’ve made this recipe a few times with the only adjustment being that I use southern style grits. I have been unable to find any shrimp and grits that taste better. I live in Houston and have not found better. I have visited New Orleans and have not found better. This is THE best recipe for Shrimp and Grits. It makes a really big difference if you can make your own stock. If you are not able to do that, I roast the shells and heads from the shrimp I buy for this recipe and instead of water, I pour in my homemade vegetable stock. Works great in a pinch and an improvisational technique I learned by watching Beat Bobby Flay.
Absolutely delicious! My Chicago suburb market didn’t have the finest of grits, but the results were delicious. Didn’t have enough shells to make the stock, so I added El Pato Tomato Sauce to some store bought Seafood Stock. So, so good! (Alert, I needed more like 6 cups stock.)
I bought seafood stock instead of making one but otherwise followed the recipe. The recipe turned out fabulous. I would definitely make this again. My husband said this was the first time he liked grits and asked if we could make every Wednesday Shrimp and Grits day like taco Tuesday. My daughter said I could beat Bobby Flay with this recipe. I then told her that this was Bobby’s recipe, so that was unlikely.
Delicious! Making/using seafood stock made a world of difference.
I love your version of shrimp and grits! Thank you
was not able to get the full recipe