Stephencooks

If you have lived or have roots in the Southeastern coastal U. S., shrimp and grits is an old friend. Once a breakfast staple, this dish has pushed its way onto lunch and dinner menus across the Mid-Atlantic, and now even appears on menus in the North.  The styles, variations of and additions to this dish are seemingly endless.

When my daughter lived in South Carolina I was fortunate to be introduced to this and many other Low Country dishes. In particular, I learned about creamy grits, made from stone ground grits. Previously I had only tried the "instant" variety of grits, a poor representation of the real thing.

For other dishes using Maine shrimp, and information about this delicacy, see these previous posts: California Roll Salad; Maine Shrimp Boil; and Flounder and Shrimp Roulades.

Grits are basically just dried and ground white corn. Long slow cooking, reminiscent of the process for making risotto, produces a flavorful and satisfying porridge which makes a perfect partner for additions such as eggs, sausage or gravy. Stone ground grits can be hard to find, especially in the North, partially because this variety has a short shelf life. (Ground slowly, like other stone ground grains, stoneground grits contain oils that can become rancid fairly quickly. This can be mitigated by keeping stone ground grits in the freezer.) However,  stone ground grits can be ordered from several on-line suppliers.

My version is extremely simple, with little to distract from the wonderful combination of the creamy grits and the fresh shrimp cooked in a broth made from their shells and heads. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I look forward each year to the arrival of the local Maine shrimp and the opportunity to make a few more meals of shrimp and grits.