Shrimp and Grits

SOMEbody keeps trying to convince me that grits are good. This is courtesy of Southern Living Magazine, and I do admit it doesn't look bad. Except for the grits...but MAYBE

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 21 min. The original recipe is from Bill Smith, executive chef at Crook's Corner, the landmark Southern restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Ingredients
2 bacon slices

1 pound unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Cheese Grits
Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tsp. drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.
2. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; dredge in flour.
3. Sauté mushrooms in hot drippings with oil 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 browned. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Spoon shrimp mixture over hot Cheese Grits; sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2008

Beaufort Stew

Enough of the following to serve all guests:

Shrimp

Corn on the cob

New potatoes

Smoked sausage

1 medium onion

In a large pot bring water to boil. Add the onion. Cook 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook 4-5 minutes. Add the corn and smoked sausage and cook 7-8 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook about 5 minutes.

Drain water. Put all ingredients in a large bowl, or on paper in the center of the table. Let everyone get what they want.

Black Pepper Shrimp

3 pounds fresh shrimp, unpeeled
8 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 tablespoons freshly ground pepper Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the shrimp, and place in a shallow baking pan. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the garlic, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp and toss to coat. Pepper shrimp until shrimp are well covered. Bake until pink, approximately 5 minutes, turn, bake a few minutes longer, and pepper again.

Serve shrimp with warm bread and salad.

Easy Shrimp Chowder

From Southern Living and a Southern guy named T

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of potato soup, undiluted
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled*
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Oyster crackers (optional)
Preparation
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream of potato soup, milk, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. Serve with oyster crackers, if desired.
*1 1/2 pounds frozen shrimp, thawed; 1 1/2 pounds peeled crawfish tails; or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken may be substituted.

Yield
Makes 12 cups