866. SHRIMP and GRITS with TOMATILLO and BACON GRAVY

serves 4


Shrimp Stock
1 ½ pounds shell-on large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound)
3 cups water
½ teaspoon peppercorns
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Grits
1 ½ cups stone-ground grits
1 ½ cups whole milk
3 cups water
2 pinches kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gravy
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
¼ pound slab bacon or 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel the shrimp, reserving the shells. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the shells, the peppercorns, bay leaf, salt and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the broth (you should have about 1 ½ cups) and reserve. Discard the shells.

While the broth simmers, stir the grits into a bowl of cold water and allow to settle. Corn hulls may float to the surface. Skim off the hulls and drain the grits. (Skip this step if you are using supermarket grits.) In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and the water to a boil over high heat. Add the grits, stirring with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium, add the salt and cook, stirring occasionally.

Once the grits thicken (about 10 minutes), reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently and adding water if the grits become too stiff. Cook until the grits are fluffy and creamy, 90 minutes. Season with more salt, if desired, and pepper; reserve.

While the grits cook, place the tomatillos on a foil-lined sheet pan or cast-iron skillet. Broil them about 3 inches from the flame or heating element, turning them as their skins blacken, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the tomatillos to a food processor or blender and puree to a soupy liquid. Add the jalapeño and reserve.

Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is firm and just golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, leaving the fat behind.

Add half the shrimp to the pan and sear quickly, about a minute per side, leaving the shrimp slightly undercooked. Remove the shrimp to a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Add the butter, bell pepper and onion to the pan. Sauté until the pepper and onion just begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the shrimp broth into a small bowl, add the flour and whisk until it becomes a smooth paste. Pour the remaining shrimp broth into the skillet with the pepper and onion. When the broth reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and cook at a vigorous simmer until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour paste to the pan, whisking vigorously to distribute the flour evenly throughout the broth. Add the tomatillo and jalapeño mixture to the skillet, stir and return to a simmer. Cook until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Add the reserved shrimp and bacon and continue cooking until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the grits among four plates and ladle the shrimp and gravy on top. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-be Southerners, by Matt and Ted Lee. Norton, 2006 / Matthew Amster-Burton, "Green Gods," The Seattle Times: Pacific Northwest Magazine, July 15, 2007