Shrimp and Grits with Cajun Gravy

Life is better with gravy. Life is best if that gravy is a little spicy.

The ingredients:

For the shrimp

• 8 shrimp

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1/4 tsp cajun

• 1/4 tsp garlic salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

For the grits

• 1/2 c. traditional grits

• 2 c. chicken stock

• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese

• reserved butter from preparing shrimp

For the gravy

• 1/4 c. diced bacon

• 2 tsp flour

• 1/2 c. buttermilk

• 1/2 c. water

• 1/2 tsp cajun

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

The process:

Season the shrimp with spices, then sauté in butter until the shrimp begin to pink-up. Once the shrimp appear to start “tightening,” immediately remove from pan. Bring chicken stock to a boil and add grits. As it thickens, add in butter from the shrimp pan. Add in parmesan. (Tip: if the grits get too thick, add in a quarter cup of water at a time until preferred consistency is reached.)

For the gravy, fry diced bacon until fat is rendered, then scoop out the solids. Drop in flour and stir until fully combined, then add spices. Once all combined, drop in 1/4 cup of buttermilk, then water, then buttermilk, then water until gravy is formed. Top with scallions or parsley.

The story:

Some of the best shrimp I’ve had in my life is from my dad who, ironically enough, is deathly allergic to shrimp. But my mom loves them, so on occasion, he’d get them from the store and surprise her by cooking them. Then he’d have to stand on our porch and recover from the steam while the rest of us enjoyed them. We lived a tortured culinary life at the Kirkland house.

He was more of a sauté man (though, he also has this recipe with bacon, shrimp, and pineapple that’s just stupid), and this dish is more of a testament to so many things I love about Southern food. The bacon. The shrimp. The grits. The need to douse everything in gravy. I wanted to come up with my own take of Tasso gravy, which is where this recipe started. How can I get buttermilk in there, you know? How do I make it a bit more garlicky than what the average bear would make?

Obviously, the seasonings are customizable here, but what I’ve put together is a mixture that won’t leave you thinking “wow, I wonder what it would be like with flavor?” And once you try the gravy, you got to let me know what you think.