Shrimp and grits started out as a Lowcountry breakfast, but New Orleans cooks made it their own. Our version starts with thick-cut bacon cooked until crisp. A few spoonfuls of the rendered fat soften the holy trinity and garlic, a light roux gives the sauce body, and a splash of cream turns it silky enough to pool into the grits. The grits are rich with milk and mild Gouda, the shrimp go in at the very end so they stay tender, and the crispy bacon goes right on top. It's our own recipe, inspired by Chef John Folse's shrimp and grits.

Why Start With Nothing-Added Shrimp

Last Island shrimp have nothing added: no preservatives, phosphates or sulfites. They're wild Louisiana shrimp, frozen the day they're caught, and they come peeled and deveined in half-pound bags.

That matters in a cream sauce. Phosphate-treated shrimp can leak water into the pan and shrink as they cook. Untreated shrimp stay plump, and your sauce stays silky instead of thin. Each ½-lb bag holds about 12 to 16 shrimp, so two bags (1 pound, about 24 to 32 shrimp) are plenty for four bowls.

First, Thaw the Shrimp Safely

Use one of these two methods only:

• Overnight in the fridge. Set the sealed bags on a plate in the refrigerator the night before.
• Sealed bag in cold water. Submerge the sealed bags in a bowl of cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the shrimp are thawed (usually 20 to 40 minutes), then cook right away.

Never thaw shrimp in warm water or on the counter. Pat the thawed shrimp dry before cooking.

New Orleans-Style Shrimp and Grits with Bacon Cream Sauce and Gouda Grits

Serves: 4

Active time: about 40 minutes

Total time: about 55 minutes with quick grits, or about 1 hour 15 minutes with stone-ground (plus thawing)

Equipment: a heavy medium saucepan for the grits; a large (12-inch) skillet for the bacon and sauce

Ingredients

For the Gouda grits:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup stone-ground grits (or quick grits; not instant)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces mild (not smoked) Gouda, shredded (about 1 cup)

For the shrimp and sauce:

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 5 ounces), chopped
• 1 pound Last Island shrimp (two ½-lb bags, about 24 to 32 shrimp), thawed and patted dry
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely diced bell pepper (a mix of green and red looks nice)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups seafood stock or low-sodium chicken stock, warmed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (salt-free or low-salt, if you can find it)
• A few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, to taste
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions, divided
• A squeeze of lemon, optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps

1. Start the grits. Put the milk, water, salt, white pepper and butter in the saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to simmer (watch it, milk boils over fast), slowly whisk in the grits. Turn the heat to low and cover. Stone-ground grits take about 40 to 50 minutes. Quick grits take about 12 to 15. Stir every 5 minutes or so and scrape the bottom so nothing sticks. If they get thick before they're tender, add a splash of hot water.
2. Crisp the bacon. About 25 minutes before the grits are done, put the chopped bacon in the cold skillet and set it over medium heat. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fat renders and the bacon is browned and crisp. Lift the bacon onto a paper towel–lined plate. Pour the fat into a heatproof cup, then return about 3 tablespoons to the skillet (save any extra for another use).
3. Soften the trinity. Add the butter to the bacon fat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Make a light roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns pale gold. This roux is only for body. It's not a dark gumbo roux.
5. Build the cream sauce. Pour in the warm stock about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each pour until smooth. Add the cream, Worcestershire, Creole seasoning and a dash of hot sauce. Simmer gently 3 to 4 minutes, until it coats a spoon. If it gets too thick, add a little more stock.
6. Finish the grits. Take the grits off the heat and stir in the Gouda until melted. Taste and add salt if needed. Cover to keep warm.
7. Cook the shrimp. Stir the shrimp, half the green onions and about a third of the bacon into the simmering sauce. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, just until the shrimp are pink and curled into a loose "C." Take the pan off the heat. Taste, then add salt, pepper, more hot sauce, or a squeeze of lemon.
8. Serve. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls. Top with shrimp and plenty of sauce, then crumble the rest of the bacon over the top and finish with the remaining green onions.

Tips

• Start the bacon in a cold pan. It renders more fat and crisps evenly without burning.
• Mind the salt. Bacon, stock and Creole seasoning are all salty. Season at the end.
• Don't overcook the shrimp. Add them last. They'll keep cooking a little in the hot sauce.
• Make it milder. Leave out the hot sauce.
• Leftovers. Refrigerate and eat within a day. Rewarm gently with a splash of milk or stock, and re-crisp the bacon in a dry skillet.

Stock the Freezer for Shrimp Night

A 5 lb box or an 8 lb box ships frozen to the lower 48. They're packed in half-pound bags, so you only thaw what you need.

Inspired by Chef John Folse's Shrimp and Grits. This is our own adaptation, with original quantities and method.