Crook's Corner Shrimp And Grits

Adrian Miller is The Soul Food Scholar, Author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time and Winner of the 2014 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Reference and Scholarship. He joined Mike Collins to talk about grits and the migration of Southern cuisine out of the South. He passed along this recipe for shrimp & grits from Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, NC where Bill Smith is the executive chef.

Crook's Corner Shrimp and Grits

2 cups water

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

3/4 cup half-and-half

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup regular grits

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

3 bacon slices

1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Lemon wedges

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Sauté mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly brown. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits. Top with crumbled bacon; serve with lemon wedges.