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Get the complete recipe for Charleston Shrimp and Grits.  This is the traditional Charleston Shrimp and Grits recipe, and why would we have it any other way? If you are visiting and have never tried this dish, please do so!  I know you will fall in love with this tasty Charleston treat!  If you are a resident of the area, I am sure you have heard of alternative ways but I am just going to post the original Charleston Shrimp and Grits recipe

.Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hours, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, halved lengthwise, and deveined if you wish

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

·         1 1/2 teaspoons salt or more to taste

·         1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits, not instant or quick-cooking

·         6 thick slices bacon, chopped

·         1 small onion, finely chopped 

·         1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions 

·         2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

·         1 cup chicken stock

·         1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 cup (about 1/4 pound) grated medium to sharp Cheddar cheese

·         Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

·         Preparation

·         Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Let sit while you begin the grits and gravy.

·         Make the grits in a large heavy saucepan, first bringing 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits a few handfuls at a time. (They will bubble up initially.) When you have added all the grits, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end.

·         While the grits simmer, get the gravy under way. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion and pepper are limp, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sautéing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and remaining salt and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the grits.

·         When the grits are thick and creamy, stir in as much of the butter as you wish, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like. Cover the grits while you finish the gravy.

·         Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, mounding the grits in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy.

·         Serves: 4 (Unless you are really hungry!).

·         Credits: From A Real American Breakfast. Copyright 2002 by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. All rights reserved. HarperCollins Publishers.

Enjoy Charleston Shrimp and Grits tomorrow morning guys! 

Have you recently visited Charleston? Did you find a great restaurant that you think others should give a try?  Dining out on a vacation can be adventurous because you are not familiar with the restaurants.  My goal is to take the guessing out of dining in Charleston for people visiting Charleston this summer.  So here is my challenge to Charleston residents (And recent visitors)!  What are some restaurants that left a great impression on you?  What are some of your favorite spots?

You can just list the name of the restaurant.  Preferably though give reasons behind the choice and also where the restaurant is located and other details that you think would be important to someone visiting Charleston, S.C.  

After getting a few nominees, I am going to try to blog about each individual Charleston restaurant!

You can nomiate by just leaving a comment to this post with the details of your favorite Charleston restaurant.

Thanks!

In my last post about gas prices and what people in Charleston are doing to combat them, I got a comment from a lady about a new website.  The name of the website is LowCountryYardSales.com.  Essentially, this is a page for people to buy and sell personal treasures.  How does this save gas?  You can drive to one location directly and buy what you want rather than driving to 15 and maybe not finding it?  I know most enjoy going from spot to spot but if gas prices are a concern, I would strongly suggest using LowCountryYardSales.com as a place for you to go and look for some bargains!