Charleston Shrimp and Grits

Stone-ground grits cooked slow with a little cream, topped with shrimp in a pan sauce built on bacon fat and a splash of stock. This is the breakfast dish that shrimpers ate before dawn, dressed up just enough for supper.

Ingredients

• 1 cup stone-ground grits (not instant or quick)
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (shells reserved)
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken or shrimp stock
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more to serve
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the grits in a bowl of cold water and skim off any chaff that floats to the top. Drain well.
2. Bring the water, milk, cream, and 1 teaspoon salt to a gentle boil in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the grits in a slow stream so they don't clump.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook the grits uncovered, stirring every few minutes, for 40 to 45 minutes until they are thick and tender with no raw graininess. Add a splash of hot water if they tighten up too much.
4. Stir the butter and cheddar into the finished grits, taste, and adjust the salt. Cover and keep warm over the lowest heat.
5. While the grits cook, render the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Lift out the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
6. Cook the onion in the bacon fat until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Pour in the stock and whisk until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
8. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once, just until they curl and turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook them.
9. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, hot sauce, and most of the reserved bacon. Season with black pepper.
10. Spoon the grits into wide bowls, top with the shrimp and sauce, and finish with scallions and the last of the bacon.

Tips

• Save the shrimp shells and simmer them in the stock for 15 minutes before you start; that quick shellfish stock is what separates a good version from a great one.
• Stone-ground grits from a Carolina mill like Geechie Boy or Adluh have a corn flavor that yellow supermarket grits can't match. They take longer to cook, so don't rush them.