Gulf Shrimp & Grits Recipe

1. Bring water and milk to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Slowly whisk in the grits to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until thick and tender, about 20–25 minutes (follow package times for stone-ground grits and adjust liquid as needed).

3. When grits are tender and creamy, stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cream cheese, grated cheddar, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional hot sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally while you prepare the shrimp.

4. Prepare shrimp: pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and smoked paprika. Set aside.

5. Cook bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon slices and cook until crisp, about 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving about 1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat in the skillet. Chop bacon into bite-size pieces when cool.

6. Sauté mushrooms: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and increase heat to medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté until mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

7. Cook shallot and garlic: Reduce heat to medium, add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. When melted, add minced shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring so garlic doesn’t burn.

8. Deglaze with wine: Pour in 1 cup dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine simmer and reduce by about half, 3–4 minutes.

9. Build the sauce: Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock and 1 cup heavy cream to the skillet. Stir in Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and fresh thyme. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 4–6 minutes.

10. Finish sauce: Stir in the cooked mushrooms and chopped bacon. Taste and season with remaining kosher salt and black pepper as needed. If sauce is too thin, simmer a minute longer; if too thick, add a splash of stock.

11. Cook shrimp: Push sauce to the side of the skillet or use a second large skillet. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook over medium-high heat 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through (shrimp curl and opaque). If using the same skillet, spoon sauce over shrimp as they finish cooking so they pick up flavor.

12. Combine and finish: Return shrimp to the sauce if cooked separately. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter to finish the sauce for shine and richness. Stir in chopped fresh parsley and adjust lemon, salt and pepper to taste.

13. Serve: Spoon a generous portion of warm grits into shallow bowls, top with several shrimp and ladle the creamy bacon-mushroom-tomato sauce over top. Garnish with additional parsley and a small sprinkle of smoked paprika or lemon zest if desired.