BBQ Shrimp and Grits in the Charleston Style

Whenever I make Shrimp & Grits I hardly ever stray from Bill Neal’s recipe which I’ve been making for years and which I love. But after seeing the chef of 82 Queen in Charleston, SC make his version on an episode of Food Paradise, I really wanted to replicate it in my own way. It involves fewer steps and ingredients, which is a plus.

This grits recipe that I’ve come up with was inspired by a staff meal I had at The Angus Barn while decorating there for Christmas one year. The chef shared his secret of using Better Than Bouillon chicken base in his green chili cheese grits, and I’ve been using it ever since. These grits are insane. Like, make you wanna jump up and slap yourself good (because noone should slap their momma). And bonus, they are also great with pot roast.

The absolute best part of this recipe is that it can be made ahead and kept warm. It also, if you can believe it (and I had to try it to believe it) is just as good the next day reheated. I promise! Which makes this ideal for entertaining. Speaking of entertaining, I like to serve this as an appetizer in small disposable plastic bowls which you can find at Dollar Tree.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups water
• 1 large tbsp better than bouillon chicken base
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• kosher salt
• 1 cup stone ground grits
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded (none of that pre-shredded business)
• 1lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 strips of good smoked bacon
• 1 cup thick bbq sauce (your favorite brand or Bone Suckin Sauce)
• 1 large scallion, light and dark green part, sliced on the bias
• flake salt

DIRECTIONS:

Bring the water, chicken base, 2 tbsp. butter and a tbsp. of kosher salt to a boil in a pot. Slowly whisk in the grits and when they start to boil lower the heat to a simmer. You want to see it gently bubbling up. Partially cover with a lid, swap that whisk out for a wooden spoon and get ready to babysit these grits for the next hour. You need to stir every few minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot, because the grits will quickly stick to the bottom and can easily scorch. After about 45 minutes I begin to taste the grits to see if they are done.

When they’re creamy and you no longer taste any uncooked grits, add the heavy cream and stir. If the grits need more salt, add it now along with the other 2 tbsp. of butter and stir until melted. Then add the cheese and stir until that is melted. At this point you can serve right away or if you are making ahead, pour the grits into a heat-proof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Clean out the pot they were in, pour in 2-3 inches of water and place on the stove at the lowest simmer. Put the bowl of grits on top of the pot and make sure the pot is not touching the water. Keep warm for up to an hour or so.

Now for the bacon. Stack the bacon slices on a cutting board and cut in half lengthwise. Then slice into little 1/4” pieces. Seperate with your hands and place them in a cold pan (like cast iron) and cook over low heat until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is crispy. Be careful not to burn the bacon because it will become bitter. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and pour out the bacon fat (and reserve for later!). This can be done hours in advance. Just leave the pan on the stove with the residual bacon fat on the bottom until your ready to cook the shrimp.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and heat your pan over medium high heat for a few minutes. Put the shrimp in the pan in a single layer and cook for a minute. Turn the shrimp and cook one more minute and then add about 1/2 cup of the bbq sauce over the shrimp. Stir around for a minute or two until the sauce is heated through and starting to caramelize. Add more sauce if you want it saucier. Total cooking time here shouldn’t be more than 4-5 minutes.

Spoon the grits into a shallow bowl or plate and top with some of the shrimp. Garnish with the bacon bits, scallions and flake salt.

Make ahead: If making ahead, keep the grits over the simmering water as instructed above. When the shrimp are cooked, transfer to a heat-proof bowl and wrap tightly. I hold mine for up to an hour in my warming drawer on the lowest setting, which is labeled ‘bread proofing’. If you don’t have a warming drawer, you can keep the bowl of shrimp in the microwave to trap the heat or in a 200 degree oven. If you choose the oven, bringe it up to 200 degrees, place the bowl of shrimp in the oven and then turn off the heat. The residual heat will keep them warm.

To reheat later: You can warm the grits up in a pot on the stove over low heat, adding a couple of tablespoons of water to thin them out just a bit or you can just microwave them for a couple of minutes, stir and microwave for one more minute until heated through completely. The shrimp can be covered and microwaved for 30-40 seconds. Any longer and they may become rubbery. I like to add a couple tablespoons of bbq sauce to the shrimp before microwaving.