Chef John's Shrimp And Grits

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 dash worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white grits
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Ready Time: 55 mins


• place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until almost crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. remove from heat and transfer bacon to a dish, leaving drippings in the skillet.
• whisk 1/4 cup water, cream, lemon juice, and worcestershire sauce together in a bowl.
• stir 4 cups water, butter, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a pot; bring to a boil. whisk grits into pot, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until grits are creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. remove from heat and stir white cheddar cheese into grits.
• place shrimp in a large bowl and season with seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• heat skillet with bacon drippings over high heat. cook shrimp in hot bacon fat in a single layer for 1 minute. turn shrimp and add jalapeno; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. stir cream mixture, bacon, green onion, and garlic to shrimp mixture; cook and stir, adding water as necessary to thin the sauce, until shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. remove from heat and stir in parsley.
• ladle grits into a bowl and top with shrimp and sauce.