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Posted on Sat, Oct 10, 2009 : 5:04 a.m.

Peggy Lampman's Saturday dinnerFeed: Shrimp and grits

By Peggy Lampman

lampman, shrimp & grits
In the Low Country of South Carolina, shrimp and grits has been considered a basic breakfast for coastal fishermen and families for decades during shrimp season. Simply called "breakfast shrimp," the dish consisted of grits with shrimp cooked in bacon drippings. Today you can find versions of this specialty in upscale restaurants across the country.

It's my Aunt Jane's 80th birthday so my sister-in-law, Susanne, and I made her favorite dish: Shrimp & Grits. Susanne is a Shrimp & Grits expert and created a version that she says reduces the fat, (slightly!) with all the fabulous flavor remaining.

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Susanne making Shrimp Grits.

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

Michigan friends have asked me why grits are so popular in the South, when they taste so bland. Grits, like the Italian polenta, need to be dressed up to be loved. I don't know any Southerner who enjoys eating grits "undressed".

The Southerner’s passion for grits is really meant for cheese grits, grits with red eye gravy, grits and sausage and, Aunt Jane's and my personal favorite, shrimp and grits. You can substitute creamy polenta for the grits and the eating experience would be almost identical. But we're sticking with grits for tonight's dinnerFeed.

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Aunt Jane's 80th Birthday Party

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

Susanne has made this recipe adding cream and lots more butter to the finished grits. Her motto "When in doubt, add more butter!" is similar to that of her favorite chef, Chef Paul Prudhonne. Of course everyone adores her cooking--maybe it's because of this buttery predilection. At my request, she reduced the butter and eliminated the cream in this recipe. Throw caution to the wind and add more butter and cream, if you like, but I thought this dinner was close to sublime and plenty rich for my palate. Aunt Jane most happily agrees!

Yield: 4-5 servings Time: 50 minutes Cost: apx. $18.50 (using $10.00# shrimp) Ingredients

lampman, making a roux for shrimp & grits
1 cup stone-ground grits* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 slices bacon 1/3 cup chopped green pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons flour 1 1/2-2 cups seafood or chicken stock 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 pound large, fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined 1 cup chopped green onion 1/8 teaspoon cayenne Tabasco sauce, or other hot sauce, as desired 2 cups grated cheddar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

*Polenta or other grits may be substituted, following specific package instructions. The stone ground grits have more bite and texture than regular grits or polenta and take longer to cook.

Directions

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1. Cook grits, with 2 tablespoons butter, according to package instructions, until creamy and tender. 2. As the grits cook, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving dripping in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside. 3. Sauté green pepper and garlic in bacon drippings. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, whisking continuously, about 2 minutes. 4. Add stock, lemon juice, shrimp, green onion, cayenne, and tabasco. Sauté 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, or until shrimp are just cooked through. Season to taste with kosher salt and tabasco. 5. Stir cheddar into cooked grits. Serve shrimp mixture over cooked grits. Top with crumbled bacon, parsley and serve.

Visit me on dinnerFeed for more seasonal recipes and local value.

Comments

Debbie

Sat, Oct 10, 2009 : 9:01 a.m.

That looks sooooo good!