Crook's Corner Shrimp and Grits

A few years ago I had the pleasure of having brunch at Humble Pie in Raleigh, North Carolina. An old warehouse converted in to a hip urban eatery, the food was fantastic and the Bloody Marys too. My order of shrimp and grits was so memorable that here I am years later writing about it here. In fact, the shrimp and grits are so good at Humble Pie, they are listed on the menu as "broth of the Gods." I did some research and found the recipe from Crook's Corner, another popular North Carolina restaurant in Chapel Hill. I grew up eating grits with my father who was raised for part of his childhood in the south. We used to smother ours with butter and fresh pepper. Then I discovered that cheese is the secret ingredient that elevates plain grits to something godly.

We had this for dinner last night and there wasn't a trace of it left by the time we licked our bowls clean. I wish the photo did this dish more justice. Trust me, it was incredible; all of the flavors completely enhanced each other from the sharp cheddar and Parmesan in the grits to the mushrooms, bacon, scallions and shrimp that sat in a broth that was indeed worthy of God coming over here for dinner. I think part of the success in this dish is the addition of some hot sauce. I don't like things too hot but a few splashes in both the shrimp mixture and the grits made this really spectacular. You can go over here to see the rave reviews on this dish.

RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 cups water
* 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
* 3/4 cup half-and-half
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup regular grits
* 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 3 bacon slices
* 1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup sliced mushrooms
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
* Lemon wedges

Preparation

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Sauté mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly brown. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits. Top with crumbled bacon; serve with lemon wedges.