Shrimp and Grits Recipe

The Lowcountry’s favorite comfort food recipe

Visitors to the Frampton Plantation Visitors Center often ask advice on what to see and do in the Lowcountry. The conversation always turns to food. No matter the Lowcountry destination, I always recommend trying the shrimp and grits. This dish is a treat of the South Carolina Lowcountry.  Most natives have their own way of cooking it. I learned from two local treasures: Daufuskie Island’s Sallie Ann Robinson and my father-in-law Ryan Pinckney.  

Winter is the perfect time to enjoy a scoop of southern grits topped with shrimp and gravy. Combining the knowledge gained from watching the master chefs, I came up with a concoction that fit the bill on a cold winter’s night!

Ingredients:
1-pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
paprika
salt & pepper
1-cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
¼ green bell pepper, diced
4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
Additional bacon, crumbled for garnish
1 cup bacon grease
grits
chicken stock
butter
fresh parsley

Directions
Cook a pot of grits using water, a little chicken stock, salt, and butter. Simmer on low.

Season the shrimp with paprika, salt and pepper, then set it aside.

Dice and sauté bacon with celery, bell pepper and onion. Remove veggies and bacon from pan and put into blender. Pulse until it turns into a gravy consistency.

Heat bacon grease in pan. Use a plastic bag to coat shrimp in flour. Shake off excess and fry shrimp, just until they turn pink. Remove from pan.

Using the same pan, warm gravy until bubbly. Pour gravy over grits and top with shrimp. Garnish with parsley and crumbled bacon.

This recipe makes a gravy that is thicker than what you normally see in a restaurant, but the flavor is delicious. It’s a simple and wholesome meal that takes me back to the memories of my father-in-law’s kitchen and all the delicious meals that he would prepare.