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Shrimp and Grits

A staple Southern food, shrimp and grits has roots with the Muskogee tribe of Native Americans. They ground corn into a gritty texture and shared the preparation with early American settlers. There are dishes that resemble shrimp and grits in Gullah Geechee writings, Africans who descended from slaves and live in the low country regions of Georgia and South Carolina. Shrimp and grits was a common breakfast dish in the coastal South but its status was elevated in 1982, when a chef in North Carolina fused grits with cheese and topped it with jumbo shrimp and bacon. After the recipe was published in The New York Times in 1985, the dish grew in popularity and is now an American classic.

Recipe Servings: 4

Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil and add salt and pepper.
  2. Add grits to water and cook until water is absorbed, about 20–25 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.
  4. Rinse shrimp and pat dry.
  5. Fry bacon in large skillet until browned. Drain bacon well then chop.
  6. Add shrimp to remaining bacon grease add cook until they turn pink.
  7. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes.
  8. Spoon grits into serving bowl then add shrimp mixture and stir well.
  9. Serve immediately.

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