Shrimp and Grits with Bacon and Cheddar
Creamy stone-ground grits topped with seared shrimp, crisp bacon and a glossy pan sauce, finished with sharp cheddar and spring onions. A comforting Southern classic that comes together on the stovetop.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Rendering fat · Searing
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Bring 500 ml water and 1 tsp salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the grits, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring often, until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. If they tighten too much, stir in 2 tbsp hot water.
~20 min
Simmering hydrates the grits and stirring releases starch, creating a creamy texture.
Stir the grits often as they thicken, especially near the end, to keep them smooth and prevent sticking.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the grits cook, cut the bacon into 1 cm pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp and golden, about 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
~6 min
Cooking bacon over medium heat renders fat slowly, yielding crisp pieces and flavorful fat for searing.
Rendering fat Cook bacon over medium heat so fat renders gradually; if it browns too fast, the fat burns and the bacon stays chewy.
-
Pat the shrimp dry and season with 0.25 tsp black pepper. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan.
~4 min
Drying shrimp ensures a hard sear and Maillard browning instead of steaming.
Pat the shrimp completely dry before searing so they brown instead of steam, and give them space in the pan; if they look crowded, cook them in two batches.
Searing Pat shrimp dry and sear in a hot pan without crowding; they should release easily and brown, not steam.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the shrimp sear, grate the cheddar and slice the spring onions.
~3 min
-
Stir the grated cheddar into the hot grits until melted and smooth. Taste and adjust salt.
~2 min
Stirring cheese into hot grits melts it smoothly without clumping or stringiness.
-
Spoon the grits into bowls. Top with the seared shrimp, crisp bacon and sliced spring onions. Spoon any pan juices over the top and serve hot.
~2 min