Shrimp & Grits
Spicy shrimp & salty bacon are simmered in a tomato & shrimp stock, thickened into a sauce and served over creamy cheddar grits.
Servings: 3 people
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Cheesy Grits
- 3 cups water, plus extra as needed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup old-fashioned grits
- Salt and pepper
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups shredded - Cabot extra sharp recommended- always grate your own for better melting)
- 4 tbsp butter (room temperature)
- 4 scallions (sliced thin) *optional
- ½ tsp hot sauce
Shrimp
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1- 1.5 pounds 20 count shrimp - peeled, deveined & shells reserved
- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 slices thick cut bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces (Tip! cut very cold bacon long way into 4’s and then dice by slicing the other way) put aside in fridge until ready to use.
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Sriracha tobacco or your favorite style hot pepper sauce
- 2 scallions white & green parts, thinly sliced diagonally
Instructions
Make the Grits
- Lightly coat slow cooker with vegetable, canola, sunflower or similar type of oil. Combine water, milk, grits, and 1 teaspoon salt together in the slow cooker. Stir or whisk to combine.
- Cover and cook until grits are tender, 3 to 4 hours on low or 2 to 3 hours on high.
- Tip! While the grits are cooking, you should prep the ingredients to finish the grits and make the shrimp so you are ready to cook & assemble as soon as the grits are done.
- Stir grits occasionally and add more water 1/4 cup at a time if grits look to be drying out.
- Grits are done when they are silky smooth, but still have a small amount of bite to them when tasted.
- Once the grits are done, set the slower to the "keep warm setting" and start making the shrimp.
- Right before serving, stir in cheddar, butter, scallions, and hot sauce into grits until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (According to the experts at America's Test Kitchen, the grits can be held on the warm setting for up to 2 hours, but I have not tried this. I would be concerned that they would over cook. But it's a good tip should you need to hold them.)
Make the Shrimp
- In a large sauté pan (I use a Calphalon non stick sauté pan with a lid) over medium heat, melt 1 TBSP of butter. Add the shrimp shells and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to toast the shells. (You are making the stock)
- Add the tomato paste and stir it with the shells, cook for 30 seconds.
- Add 2.75 cups of water, pinch of kosher salt, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover, & simmer for 5 minutes.
- Set aside to cool slightly and then drain through a sieve and pour the liquid into a glass measuring cup until you have 1.5 cups of stock and set aside. (If you don't have enough liquid just add more water until you have 1.5 cups.) Discard shells.
- Wipe out the sauce pan with paper towel and add the bacon & cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until crisp but not burnt. Stir in the shrimp, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate & set aside.
- Melt 1 tbs of butter in a pan and whisk in the flour, whisking constantly to break up any lumps while cooking for one minute.
- Whisk in the stock (again breaking up lumps) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Return shrimp & bacon to the pan, cover, & cook for 3 minutes, until the shrimp are just heated through.
- Turn off the burner and move the pan off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, hot sauce and then vigorously stir in 1 tablespoon of cold butter. (Cold butter helps emulsify the sauce. Soft butter makes the sauce oily.) Taste for seasoning.
- To serve, place a generous portion of the grits in the bottom of each shallow bowl, spoon the shrimp & sauce on top, garnish with scallions & serve.
Notes
Note: You will have leftover grits with this recipe, but I welcome leftover cheesy grits!