Shrimp and Grits

Let's just start out by saying that never in my life have I actually even eaten grits before this day. Maybe my mother made me try a bite once when I was little, but believe me, I considered them disgusting. I'd been thinking about making them after seeing them featured at thekitchn.com and when I had the most (frighteningly) domestic conversation with my boyfriend's mother and grandmother about the various approaches to the recipe, I had to.

I mostly used the recipe here, although I never follow things perfectly. Here we go:

Shrimp and Grits
1 package of shrimp
1 cup chicken stock
Some lemon juice
4 slices of bacon
2 TBSP flour
pinch of salt
A bunch of red pepper flakes
1/4 green bell pepper
1 small onion
3 TBSP scallions
1 clove garlic

For the Grits:
1/2 cups Grits, water and salt, follow package directions (not instant! quick cook is what I used)
salt, pepper, garlic powder
4oz grated cheddar cheese

• Marinade the shrimp in lemon and red pepper flakes. Don't be afraid to be generous, it's just a marinade.
• Chop up all the vegetables (pepper, scallions, onion, garlic)
• Prepare grits: cook in salted water according to package instructions. After they are finished, stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic, then stir in the cheese until melted.
• Chop up the bacon then cook it in a skillet until brown (but not crisp or it'll over cook)
• Add the onions, garlic, peppers (but not the scallions yet!) Cook for about 5 min.
• Add scallions and sprinkle flour over everything. Cook 5 min.
  
• Add the stock and stir together for about 2 min, until it thickens. You're making a roux here.
• Add the shrimp and cook until they're opaque. (Standard shrimp doneness!)
• Serve over the grits!

The end result was delicious. I wasn't too big of a fan of the grits on their own, and I think the sauce to grits ratio could have been a little better (aka, more sauce) but then, you know my previous opinion on grits. With a chunk of bacon or a piece of shrimp, it was amazing. If I were changing anything about the recipe, I would add a lot more shrimp, and more bacon, so that I wasn't left with as much left over grits + sauce once the protein chunks were gone. I would say this is much more of a dinner shrimp and grits, rather than a breakfast one.

I know I usually write more than one recipe per post, but I think if I do it this way, I'll be more likely to update more often! Until next time.