Shrimp and Grits Recipe: an iconic Southern dish
Shrimp and Grits…one of those iconic southern meals that make can make any Northerner embrace “y’all”.
Shrimp and Grits is truly more of a southeastern meal…the proximity to the ocean for those shrimp after all. It has been speculated that the dish originated with the Gullah Geechee, West African slave descendants who settled on the southeastern coast of the United States…between southern North Carolina and northern Florida.
This dish with humble beginnings has been elevated to fine dining, even appearing a 1985 Craig Claiborne column in The New York Times after Claiborne tasted the dish prepared by Bill Neal in his Chapel Hill Crook’s Corner restaurant. Needless to say, you can now find Shrimp and Grits on the menus of fine dining establishments throughout the United States.
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I’d guess that 50% of local restaurants here in Wilmington, NC have some variation of Shrimp and Grits on their menu. Some recipes use sausage instead of ham, some include mushrooms while others don’t, some gravies are thick while others are thinner. But the basic recipe remains the same; creamy, cheesy grits topped with shrimp and a savory ‘gravy’ of sorts.
So, all this to say…boy do I have a treat for you today!
Chef Bud, previously of The Bistro in Topsail, graciously shared his Shrimp and Grits recipe with me so that I can share it with you. And this family loves this recipe so much, I prepared it twice in one week recently.
A couple of quick tips to make your Shrimp and Grits successful:
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- This is a very easy dish to prepare, especially since you can prepare some of it ahead of time.
- Country ham is a salt-cured ham and is quite different from the city ham you normally purchase. Its unique flavor is a critical component in this dish, but do be mindful that it does bring a good bit of salt so you may not need to add salt anywhere else in the recipe. The salt used to preserve the ham makes refrigeration unnecessary
- Depending on what time of the year you make this, you can use some of those green tomatoes from your vines in this recipe.
- I did not have shrimp stock, though I have started saving the shells so that I can make some for my next batch of Shrimp and Grits. I bought a good-quality Seafood stock, which worked perfectly, but added some sodium. All the more reason not to add any additional salt.
- A good Chardonnay pairs wonderfully with Shrimp and Grits…in case you wondered.
Well, my friends, I do hope that y’all find a little bit of shrimp, some grits and country ham and treat yourself to this delicious meal. You will thank me (and Chef Bud) for the recipe…you are welcome.
Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
Grits
- 1 cup Stone Ground Yellow Grits. Don't use quick grits. Chef Bud recommends Adluh Mills, Anson Mills or another quality brand
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 3 cups Cold Water
- 6 TBS Butter
- 1 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan
- Salt and Pepper to taste bear in mind that the country ham and possibly your seafood stock are quite salty...I didn't use any salt in my grits, on the shrimp or in the sauce
Shrimp and Sauce
- 1 pound of Local Shrimp
- 1 large Green Tomato diced or equivalent...I used several small green tomatoes
- 1 TBS Minced Shallot may substitute red onion
- 1/4 tsp Minced Garlic
- 4-6 ounces Country Ham cut into small strips or diced
- 1/2 cup Dry White Wine
- 2 cups Shrimp Stock or seafood stock
- 8 TBS Unsalted Butter cut into cubes
- 1 tsp each diced fresh thyme basil and parsley
- 2 TBS thinly sliced scallion
- fresh chives optional
Instructions
Grits
- In stock pot, bring water, milk and butter to a boil
- Slowly whisk in the grits and return to a boil for 1-2 minutes
- Reduce heat to a high simmer and cook 30-45 minutes or until grits are tender
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
Shrimp
- While grits are cooking peel and clean shrimp
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside
Sauce
- (Sauce can be made in advance and kept warm)
- In a hot saute pan, place 2 T butter, shallot, garlic and country ham and cook until lightly brown.
- De-glaze the pan with white wine
- Add diced green tomatoes to the pan and cook for approximately 1 minute
- Add shrimp stock and 2T butter and let reduce by 1/4
- Add scallions and fresh herbs
- Remove from the heat
- Finish the sauce by stirring several cubes of cold butter into the sauce until it thickens slightly
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
IN A SEPARATE PAN:
- Heat the pan and add 2 T butter and the shrimp
- Cook just until the shrimp turn pink on the bottom and then turn the shrimp. Remove the pan from the heat. The shrimp will finish cooking with the residual heat from the pan.
To Serve:
- Toss the cooked shrimp into the sauce
- Divide the grits between 4 bowls
- Spoon sauce and shrimp mixture equally into bowl on top of the grits. Do not stir up.
- Garnish with fresh chives (optional)
Nutrition
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Looking for another shrimp recipe? Try this recipe for a deconstructed shrimp sushi bowl.
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Hugs,
You had me at shrimp it’s my favorite and full of iron. However the way you described this dish was amazing, I’m a history nut so I really appreciated all the detail.. This looks really wonderful and I’m thinking it’s time to start trying some new things in the kitchen.. Thanks for the inspiration…
Hey Carole, I hope you do get a chance to try it and enjoy it as much as we do. It’s a keeper.
Oh wow! I knew Crook’s Corner is a major player in the Chapel Hill restaurant scene, but I had no idea there was a 1985 NYTimes article on it! That’s cool 🙂 That’s awesome you got this recipe! Even though I grew up in GA and NC it took me forever to finally appreciate some good shrimp and grits, but there are some great restaurants in NC that have some shrimps & grits that I like now 🙂
Isn’t that cool! I haven’t been yet…it’s now on my list. Would love to hear some of your favorite shrimp and grit haunts in NC!
This was such a great recipe! We have eaten many different versions of shrimp and grits and this one is great. The green tomatoes give it a nice, fresh taste and the broth is flavorful, without being heavy. I have to admit that I forgot to put the cheese in and it was still great! Next time, I will be sure to add it, but I have to admit that we thought it was great anyway!
I’ve been hankering for a bowl of this yumminess lately as well…and glad to know the lack of cheese didn’t impact it. I did check at the Grocery Store and they will be carrying green tomatoes for several more weeks…need to get it on the menu.
This was such a great recipe! We have eaten many different versions of shrimp and grits and this one is great. The green tomatoes give it a nice, fresh taste and the broth is flavorful, without being heavy. I have to admit that I forgot to put the cheese in and it was still great! Next time, I will be sure to add it, but I have to admit that we thought it was great anyway!
This was such a great recipe! We have eaten many different versions of shrimp and grits and this one is great. The green tomatoes give it a nice, fresh taste and the broth is flavorful, without being heavy. I have to admit that I forgot to put the cheese in and it was still great! Next time, I will be sure to add it, but I have to admit that we thought it was great anyway!
I am pretty sure my husband would do double flips for this shrimp and grits! Love all fo the details, especially for me a non-southern gal!
C’mon east my friend. I’ll gladly whip up a batch for you.
What do you do with the tomato??? Chop it, mince it or cook until soft and then kind of mash it??? I have lived in the South all my adult life and until 2 years ago had never heard of it. Probably because I have always lived away from the sea. I don’t know. Even in Mississippi I never heard of it. I enjoyed a lovely bowl the 2 yrs ago, so thank you for the receipt. Please let me know about the tomato. Linda
Hi Linda,
ARgh, thanks for bringing that to my attention Linda. I’ve fixed the recipe, but you dice the tomatoes. I’m so glad you recently discovered it…one of my all time favorite recipes and the only way I really enjoy grits.
Have a fantastic day!
Lynn
This is a great recipe! My husband and I both loved it even though I couldn’t follow the exact ingredient list. While it may be green tomato season in Minnesota, finding country ham and seafood stock here presents quite a challenge! And we do love country ham. But with substitutions, including good quality frozen raw shrimp, the end result was a delicious dish whose true potential could be imagined! Thanks so much for sharing this.😀
Good Morning Betsy,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! We really love it too. What did you use in lieu of the country ham?
Lynn
Sorry, I missed your reply. I just diced some of a ham steak which wasn’t a fair substitute but still good. Then in winter when I couldn’t get my hands on green tomatoes I used tomatillos. Haha, and I used clam broth when I had to use frozen shrimp. Whatever it takes for now, but when I can make it as written, I’ll be in a food coma for sure! Such a delightful recipe.
I’ve made this twice and it is the best! My husband’s not a big seafood eater and even he loved it! Thanks for giving me a non meat recipe I can work into my regular rotation. 🙂
Hi Betsy,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It slipped my mind for too long and now I’m anxious to make it again. How was it with the tomatillos? I hope it was fine as I think that’s what I’ll need to use next week.