History

Shrimp and grits originated in Lowcountry South Carolina as a fisherman's breakfast (then called 'breakfast shrimp'), but Bill Neal of Chapel Hill canonised the modern restaurant version in 1985 by adding mushrooms and bacon. Atlanta chefs imported the dish through the 1990s and 2000s; Watershed in Decatur (closed) was an early signature. Today South City Kitchen Buckhead, Mary Mac's Tea Room and Atlanta Breakfast Club plate the reference Atlanta versions.

Common allergens: Crustaceans, Dairy, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the grits: 1 cup (180g) stone-ground white grits (Anson Mills or Geechie Boy ideally), 1L water, 250ml whole milk, 60g unsalted butter, 100g sharp cheddar grated, 50g grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • For the shrimp: 600g large Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)
  • 200g andouille sausage, sliced 5mm thick
  • 4 strips bacon, diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 200g cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 60ml dry white wine
  • 60g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)
  • Salt, black pepper

Method

  1. Bring the water and milk to a simmer in a heavy pan with the salt. Whisk in the grits gradually. Reduce to the lowest heat and cook covered for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the grits are creamy and fully tender.
  2. Stir in the butter, cheddar and parmesan. Season with black pepper. Keep warm.
  3. While the grits cook, render the diced bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Lift out and reserve. Leave the fat in the pan.
  4. Add the andouille slices and brown 3 minutes on each side. Lift out and reserve.
  5. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan; cook 6 minutes until soft.
  6. Add the garlic and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes until the mushrooms release and reabsorb their liquid.
  7. Pour in the white wine, scrape up the browned bits, then add the chicken stock and thyme. Simmer 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
  8. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Slide into the simmering sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until just pink and curled.
  9. Take off the heat. Swirl in the cold butter cubes for a glossy sauce. Stir in lemon juice and hot sauce.
  10. Spoon a generous portion of grits into wide bowls. Top with shrimp, sausage and the pan sauce. Scatter bacon and spring onion.

Tip from the editors. Stone-ground grits cooked for 45 minutes are the dish; quick grits are not a substitute. The cold butter swirled in at the end is the Lowcountry finish.

Where to eat shrimp and grits

Shrimp and grits in Atlanta

South City Kitchen Buckhead ★ 4.4

Modern Southern$$$buckheadMon-Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-21:00

South City Kitchen's Buckhead room in Atlanta runs refined Southern cooking from the Fifth Group with shrimp and grits, buttermilk fried chicken and a she.

Signature: Shrimp and grits, Buttermilk fried chicken, She crab soup

Order: Shrimp and grits with andouille gravy, then the buttermilk fried chicken.

Tip: Reservations on OpenTable. The brunch service runs the cult fried chicken and waffles; the bar takes walk-ins.

3350 Peachtree Rd NE Suite 175, Atlanta, GA 30326 Book →

Mary Mac's Tea Room ★ 4.6

Southern$$midtownDaily 11:00-21:00

Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta opened 1945 and runs Southern Sunday dinner classics in a four-dining-room compound on Ponce de Leon, with the same recipes.

Signature: Fried chicken, Pot likker and cornbread, Peach cobbler

Order: Pot likker with a side of cornbread, then fried chicken with three sides.

Tip: Order the pot likker as a starter; it comes free with cornbread. No reservations Monday through Thursday lunch; OpenTable for dinner and weekends.

224 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 Book →

Atlanta Breakfast Club ★ 4.3

Street food$downtownMon-Thu, Sun 06:30-15:00; Fri-Sat 06:30-22:00

Atlanta Breakfast Club on Ivan Allen Jr Boulevard in downtown Atlanta runs all-day Southern breakfast: crispy chicken biscuits, chicken and waffles.

Try: Crispy chicken biscuits and chicken and waffles

Tip: No reservations; the line builds before 09:00 weekends but moves fast. The crispy chicken biscuits with grape jelly are the canonical first order.

249 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30313

The Optimist ★ 4.5

Seafood$$$west-midtownMon-Thu 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-23:00, Sun 17:00-22:00

Ford Fry's Howell Mill Road seafood room in Atlanta opened 2012 in an old smokehouse, with a raw bar and wood-grill anchoring West Midtown dining.

Signature: Wood-fired fish, Oysters, Lobster roll

Order: Oysters and the wood-grilled fish of the day.

Tip: The oyster bar takes walk-ins; the dining room reserves on Resy. The takeaway window does lobster rolls and chowder.

914 Howell Mill Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 Book →

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