Dinner Diaries

Shrimp and Grits

A while back, Spencer and I had dinner at a local restaurant called Cafe Lou Lou. Spencer had a Shrimp and Grits plate that he couldn't stop talking about. Usually I'm not a big grits fan, but these were really good. Maybe because they were cheesy and smoky and salty rather than the weird sugary breakfast variety. Anyway... I thought I'd try to recreate it for dinner one night. We had this several weeks ago. I'm thinking that buying those huge jumbo shrimp and grilling them would be a great summer idea.

This is adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe. My changes are in red. I also added a side of asparagus, just because.

Ingredients:
4 cups water (I used 32oz box chicken stock and then water for the rest)
Salt and pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar so they wouldn't turn out orange)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (did not use)
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (used diced onions)
1 large clove garlic, minced

Directions:
Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.
Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.