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This is the recipe that helped put shrimp and grits on the culinary map. In 1985, legendary New York Times food writer Craig Claiborne visited Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and discovered chef Bill Neal’s elevated version of the traditional Lowcountry dish. After Claiborne featured Neal’s recipe in The New York Times, shrimp and grits grew from a regional Southern favorite into one of the country’s most iconic dishes. 

A Southern classic with creamy cheese grits, lemony shrimp, mushrooms and bacon. 

Serves: 4
Total time: About 40 minutes 

Ingredients 

Cheese Grits
2 cups water
1 can (14–14.5 ounces) chicken broth
¾ cup half-and-half
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup regular grits
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
¼ teaspoon white pepper Shrimp
3 slices bacon
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions 

1. 1. Make the cheese grits

      
      Bring the water, chicken broth, half-and-half and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.

      Gradually whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy.

      Stir in the cheddar, Parmesan, butter, hot sauce and white pepper. Keep warm. 

   2. Cook the bacon

      
      Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer it to a paper towel, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon and set it aside.
      
      
      

   3. Prepare the shrimp

      
      Season the shrimp with the black pepper and salt, then lightly coat them in flour. Cook the mushrooms in the reserved bacon drippings for approximately 5 minutes. Add the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and garlic. Sauté for approximately 2 minutes, until the shrimp are lightly browned.
      
      

   4. Finish the sauce

      Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice and hot sauce. Cook for approximately 2 more minutes, scraping up the flavorful browned pieces from the bottom of the skillet.
      
      

   5. Serve

      
      Divide the warm cheese grits among four shallow bowls. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the grits, top with crumbled bacon and serve with lemon wedges. Adapted into a streamlined format from the Crook’s Corner recipe shared by NYT Cooking. The recipe reflects the well-known Crook’s Corner preparation featuring cheese grits, bacon, mushrooms, green onions, garlic and lemon.

SOURCE: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2147-crooks-corner-shrimp-and-grits