Shrimp & Grits, a low-country specialty

Howdy! I'm back from a long weekend in the low-country of South Carolina visiting in-laws. I had never been there before and got a quick tour of Savannah before heading up to Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. It was alternately cold and warm, but lovely all around.

We ate cheesy grits and shrimp at a restaurant in Bluffton called Pepper's Porch, pictured above. If you're ever up that way, I highly recommend it. My sister-in-law had an appetizer platter for lunch with fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, scallops wrapped in bacon AND deviled eggs. I've never seen deviled eggs on a menu before. Just like I make them ... delish!

It's such a joy to find a restaurant like this when you're on the road. It sure beats the miles and miles of chains you find everywhere. Pepper's Porch doesn't look like much on the outside but that is often the sign of something good. We also ate in a funky place called the Georgia Pig right off I-95 in Brunswick. (The Jekyll Island exit, U.S. 17.) As the name says, they're big on pork. We had ribs and bbq pork sandwiches. Yum. They chopped up the meat after you ordered. It's loud and the fixings are authentic.

I share this recipe for Cheesy Grits and Shrimp not because I've made it, but because they are on my mind.

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set aside, and keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from pan.

Cook shrimp in same pan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until almost pink, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and next 4 ingredients, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in bacon.

Spoon grits onto individual plates or into shallow bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

Yield:  Makes 4 servings

Coastal Living, NOVEMBER 2003