Shrimp and grits is Southern coastal Carolina-rooted shrimp sauteed with andouille or tasso and white wine, served over creamy stone-ground white grits with sharp cheddar.

Shrimp and grits is rooted in the Carolina Lowcountry and Gullah Geechee Sea Islands tradition, where breakfast cooks added local creek shrimp to morning grits through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bill Neal at Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill brought the form to national fine-dining attention in 1985, and the dish swept down through the Southeast as a brunch and dinner staple. In Central Florida it became the canonical Southern brunch order; SoCo and The Ravenous Pig both run a refined version. Orlando's freshwater-shrimp aquaculture also feeds the dish locally.

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Make it at home

Serves 445 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 200g stone-ground white grits
  • 1 liter chicken stock or water
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 150g extra-sharp white cheddar, grated
  • 120ml whole milk or cream
  • 500g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 150g andouille or tasso ham, diced
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 60ml dry white wine
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Fresh thyme leaves, sliced scallions, salt and pepper
  • Hot sauce to serve (Tabasco or Crystal)

Method

  1. Bring stock to a simmer, season with salt. Whisk in grits slowly. Reduce heat to low.
  2. Cook grits 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until creamy and tender. Add milk if they tighten.
  3. Stir in butter and cheddar at the end. Taste for salt.
  4. Meanwhile, render andouille in a hot skillet 3 minutes until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  5. In the same pan add shallot and garlic; cook 1 minute.
  6. Add shrimp and saute 2 minutes per side until just pink.
  7. Pour in white wine and lemon juice. Return andouille. Toss with thyme and salt.
  8. Spoon hot grits into bowls. Top with shrimp, andouille and pan sauce. Garnish scallions and a few drops of hot sauce.

Editor tip. Stone-ground grits are non-negotiable. Quick or instant grits won't develop the canonical creamy texture. The dish takes about as long as the grits do, so start them first.

Common allergens: Shellfish, Dairy.