Ingredients
- ½ cup Honey-Cured Bacon lardons
- 1½ cups sliced crimini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 30 Texas shrimp (9-12 count with heads on)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1 recipe Shrimp Gravy
- 1 recipe Cheese Grits
- ¼ cup bias-cut green onions
SHRIMP GRAVY
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup brandy
- ¼ cup vermouth
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 cups Shrimp Stock
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
CHEESE GRITS
- 3 cups cooked Homestead Gristmill stone-ground grits
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup Brazos Valley Cheese
- Salt and white pepper to taste
FOR THE GRITS
Warm grits and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir to blend. Fold in cheese and season with salt and pepper.
FOR THE GRAVY
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; sweat shallot until translucent. Add tomato paste and cook until caramelized. Deglaze pan with brandy and vermouth. Add peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme. Reduce until almost dry. Add stock and cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 hour or until the sauce almost coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Keep warm.
FOR THE SHRIMP
Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat; render bacon lardons until crispy. Remove from the pan and add the mushrooms, cook until tender and reserve. Peel and de-vein shrimp, being careful not to loosen the heads or tails, season with salt; Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the shrimp in the sauté pan, once the shrimp are almost cooked, but still slightly gray in the center, deglaze pan with wine. Allow shrimp to cook through; remove from pan and keep warm.
TO SERVE
Bring shrimp gravy to a boil; remove from heat. Add remaining cold butter and emulsify with a handheld blender. Place grits in center of plate. Spoon mushrooms and bacon over grits. Surround with a pool of gravy and arrange shrimp over the grits. Sprinkle with green onions.
~ Urban Swank
