Shrimp and Grits

Charleston’s tourism bureau lists shrimp and grits among the Lowcountry’s familiar dishes. The grits form a creamy base beneath the shrimp. In Alton Brown’s Charleston-style preparation, stone-ground grits are cooked in a broth made from shrimp shells, with salt and bay leaves, then finished with butter.^[1][2]

Brown seasons the shrimp with lemon juice, hot sauce and Old Bay. Bacon is cooked until crisp, and the shrimp are cooked in the same skillet before the chopped bacon and green onions return to the pan. The shrimp mixture is scattered over bowls of grits, with remaining bacon fat drizzled on top. Brown describes eating his version for breakfast during shrimp season.^[2]