From Julia · 2022-2023 · Reconstructed
Shrimp and Grits
Serve when
Serve the moment the shrimp are pulled from the pan pink and just cooked through, straight over the hot grits.
In the series
Season 2
- S2E7 · ~00:29:00 The WGBH crew travels to Washington on a White House invitation, filming a shrimp and grits segment in the President's own kitchen
In the series
Shrimp and grits marks the furthest the show travels from its Cambridge kitchen — literally into the White House — and the episode uses a proudly regional American dish, not another French classic, to make the case that The French Chef has earned a seat at the country's biggest table.
Ingredients
- For the grits:
- For the shrimp:
Method
- Bring the water or stock and milk to a simmer, whisk in the grits, and cook low and slow, stirring often, until thick and creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in the cheddar and butter and season with salt; keep warm.
- Render the bacon in a skillet until crisp; remove and reserve, leaving the fat.
- Season the shrimp and sear them in the bacon fat over high heat, about 90 seconds per side, until just pink and curled.
- Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds, then finish with the lemon juice.
- Spoon the grits into bowls, top with the shrimp and bacon, and scatter with scallions and a dash of hot sauce.
Substitutions
- Stone-ground grits: quick grits work in a pinch, though they cook faster and give up some of the deeper corn flavor — reduce the simmer time accordingly.