Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits, Step by Step

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1. Bring the milk and water to a simmer with the salt. Rain in the grits while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

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2. Reduce to the lowest heat and cook 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the base. Add hot water if they tighten too far.

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3. When the grits are creamy and no longer gritty on the tongue, beat in the butter, cheese and white pepper. Keep warm, covered.

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4. Toss the prawns with the paprika, cayenne and a pinch of salt.

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5. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crisp, 8 minutes, then lift out with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat.

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6. Raise the heat, add the prawns in a single layer, and cook 90 seconds a side until just pink. Lift out.

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7. Add the garlic to the pan for 20 seconds, then the stock and lemon juice, scraping the base. Simmer 3 minutes until reduced by half.

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8. Take off the heat and swirl in the cold butter until the sauce is glossy. Return the prawns and bacon and toss.

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9. Spoon the grits into wide bowls, top with the prawns and sauce, and finish with spring onions, parsley and hot sauce.

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Notes for Getting It Right

• Stone-ground grits, cooked slowly. This is the only part of the recipe that cannot be compromised.
• Ninety seconds a side for the prawns. They finish in the residual heat of the sauce.
• Grits stiffen fast off the heat. Keep a jug of hot milk nearby to loosen them just before serving.

Ingredient Swaps

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

What Goes With Shrimp and Grits

• A crisp white such as Sauvignon Blanc
• Collard greens or a simple salad
• Cornbread

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: New York Bagels, Creamy Coleslaw, Air Fryer Mushrooms.

Keeping and Reheating

Grits keep 3 days refrigerated and reheat with plenty of extra milk, whisked hard. Cook the prawns fresh.

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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