Southern Shrimp and Grits

• Shrimp, peeled and deveined

  1.1 lbs
• Grits (quick-cooking)

  4.2 oz
• Bacon, thick-cut

  3 slices
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

  3.5 oz
• Chicken broth

  3.1 cups
• Garlic, minced

  2 cloves
• Yellow onion, diced

  0.5
• Green bell pepper, diced

  0.5
• Unsalted butter

  1.1 oz
• All-purpose flour

  0.5 oz
• Milk (whole or 2%)

  8.0 tbsp
• Hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)

  1.0 tsp
• Salt

  0.2 oz
• Black pepper

  0.1 oz
• Smoked paprika

  0.1 oz
• Cayenne pepper

  0.0 oz
• Green onions, sliced (for garnish)

  2 stalks

All Steps

1. 1

   Cook the grits: In a medium saucepan, bring 500ml chicken broth (or water) to a boil. Gradually whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes for quick-cooking grits, or 30-40 minutes for stone-ground, stirring occasionally until creamy and tender. Stir in half of the shredded cheddar cheese, 15g butter, salt, and pepper. Keep warm.

2. 2

   Cook the bacon: While grits cook, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

3. 3

   Sauté aromatics: To the same skillet with bacon fat, add the remaining 15g butter. Add diced onion, green bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Make the sauce base: Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the milk and the remaining 250ml chicken broth, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly.

5. 5

   Cook the shrimp: Add the shrimp to the sauce. Season with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Stir in the hot sauce.

6. 6

   Serve: Divide the cheesy grits among two bowls. Spoon the shrimp and sauce mixture over the grits. Garnish with crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.