Whatcha got?

I wouldn’t call myself a Shrimp & Grits connoisseur by any means; because I’m scared, I’m picky & you truly never know what kind of adaptation of Shrimp & Grits you’re gonna get! *insert Forrest Gump quote here*

In my day I’ve seen red-eye gravy, plain grits, black-pepper grits, super spicy shrimp, bacon & onions, cheesy grits, green bell peppers…..etc. I’m sure you get the drift of exactly just HOW diverse the world thinks Shrimp & Grits needs to be – newsflash – it doesn’t :)

Personally, I think the grits themselves are often wholly overlooked as being the true flavor-carriers of this almighty dish. I mean, shit, grits are the LEGIT vessel that carries all the delectable shrimp! So why do I feel like people just *bleh* skimp out on the love that needs to go into grits?? I’ve also seen much deliberation on discussion of the type of grits – stone-ground, quick-cook, hominy, etc. I think you should use whatever the hell you want, whatever the hell you are most comfortable cooking & whatever the hell type you personally like – grits are essentially made equal – it’s what kind of love (flavor) you put into them that makes the difference.

My recipe does nothing of the sort. Grits are like potatoes – they are amazing, they are versatile, they are underappreciated sometimes….but damn, do they need some help in the seasoning department. Obviously, I’m harping on this so hard because I’m promising to deliver some bangin’ flavor for my take on Shrimp & Grits!

yea, yea, what else?

Now that I have thoroughly educated you on Shrimp & Grits and my ever-so important, worldly opinions associated with it, it’s time to show y’all around MY world of what I think the perfect, quick & easy bowl of Shrimp & Grits looks like – let’s get to it!

Again, I didn’t grow up eating Shrimp & Grits – in fact, nearly no one in my family is a huge seafood fan so I’m not sure how I came to be such an adventurous eater….I think I was seeing all these different takes on this world-renowned dish so I figured I’d privately & quietly throw my hat into the ring to see if anyone gave a shit. Turns out, my husband enjoys this dish quite a bit (but the weather needs to be below 50 degrees for him to truly crave it) and my mother-in-law has requested I make this a few times for her – even though she’s not a fan of spicy food, we were able to tone down the heat level for her to be able to enjoy, and lastly my boss ALWAYS orders shrimp & grits whenever she sees them on a menu – and then 9/10 times ALWAYS promptly texts me to tell me mine are better, she’s disappointed, and when can she come visit so I can make them for her? ;)

I love that I’ve been able to make this dish for people in my life that have all sorts of different opinions on Shrimp & Grits, their spice-level likeness, and their overall thoughts on how much they enjoy my dish (even if they have never had Shrimp & Grits anywhere else!) I’ll take someone else’s praise rather than someone else’s comparison any day! My Shrimp & Grits is perfect for a weeknight meal – 1 pot, 1 pan, less than 20 minutes & makes enough for 4 so it can feed the fam! I hope you can appreciate the simplicity of my version without all the fanfare, without all the pizazz, but with the true love of being a Southern woman & wanting to spread the joy of Southern Cooking.

Instructions

Mis En Place….you know what to do!

Peel the shrimp, rinse & set aside.

Shred the cheeses, set aside. ((set aside a handful of each for plating, you’ll see!))

Finely dice & divide the green onions from the whites – the whites will go in with the grits!

In a medium pot, heat the can of chicken broth to a slow, simmering boil.

S L O W L Y whisk in your grits so they don’t gum up & get hard as shit.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep an eye on your grits! They only take 5 minutes to cook & THE INSTRUCTIONS MEAN IT.

Once your grits have absorbed most of the liquid, pour in ½ of your Half & Half, stir well & again, keep your damn eye on it! – also turn down to LOW HEAT.

Now is also the time to dump in the whites of your green onions so they can cook with the grits & start to soften.

Next, in a large saucepan, melt 2 TBS of butter & swirl 3 TBS of olive oil over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted & everyone is swishing around nicely in the heated pan, drop in your shrimp in a single layer & add all the spices to your liking / heat level directly over top of the shrimp.

The spices will meld perfectly with the melted butter & sizzling shrimp – the smell will be definitely make your mouth water. After 2 minutes, give them a flip for the other side to cook & have their turn absorbing all the buttery-spicy-goodness you just created.

SHIT.

What is going on with your grits?? Hopefully they are happy & just hanging out – not dry, not clumpy & not gummy!

Stir the grits well – add in S+P, garlic powder & paprika.

Pour in the remaining Half & Half and give it a good stir – heat should be on low as to not scorch the shit out of the grits & to allow them to absorb the liquid gradually.

The whites of the green onions should be soft & pungent – that’s exactly what you want. They won’t have a bite but they will give a fantastic flavor to the otherwise bland grits.