Shrimp and Grits with Mushrooms and Gruyère

Shrimp and Grits. By itself, it is a hearty dish dating back to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Native American tribe and remained a breakfast dish until the 1980s when a creative chef added mushrooms and cheese and turned it into a wildly popular dinner. The great folks at Serious Eats have devised a recipe that pairs the earthy flavors of mushrooms and Gruyère with grits.

This recipe is complex, restaurant-worthy, and delicious. We have adapted the recipe to include refinements from Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen) in making the grits, along with the original recipe's 1 hour cooking time, which makes some of the best grits you've ever had. Enjoy!

This recipe serves four

Ingredients

•  5 3/4 cups chicken stock, divided. (See NOTES.)

• 1 pound U15 shrimp, shelled (shells reserved) Alexander's staff can assist you

• 3/4 pound mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, stemmed and thinly sliced (stems reserved). (See NOTES)

• 3/4 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

• 1/4 tsp. Baking soda for dry brining shrimp

• Pinch baking soda for the grits

• 1/4 tsp. cornstarch

• 1 cup grits, preferably stone ground.

• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces), diced

• Vegetable oil (if needed)

• 1 medium shallot, minced

• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

• 2 TB unsalted butter, cubed for the sauce

• 1 TB butter for the grits (optional)

• 1 TB fresh lemon juice

• 2 TB mixed minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, and tarragon, plus more as garnish. In a pinch, use the green parts of green onions.

NOTES: There are lots of possibilities for the mushrooms. Check with Howie's for your favorite seasonal wild mushrooms. Sometimes, we have reconstituted dried shiitakes and dried porcini to go along with fresh mushrooms. For even more depth of flavor, you might replace some of the stock with reconstituted Better for Bouillon Lobster Base. The recipe uses a high liquid-to-grits ratio and a long cooking time for perfect creaminess. If you want it even more luxurious, add butter to the grits.

Combine 5 cups stock with reserved mushroom trimmings in a large, preferably non-stick pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Add the reserved shrimp shells and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Strain and return stock to saucepan.

Combine shrimp, 3/4 tsp salt, baking soda, and cornstarch in a bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before cooking time.

Add a pinch of baking soda to the stock. Bring the stock to a boil, then whisk in the grits and stir constantly for one minute (reduce the heat somewhat if it starts to boil). Reduce the heat as much as possible (we use a 'flame tamer' on a gas stove) and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and stir (scraping the bottom) with a wooden spoon. Replace the cover and repeat the stirring/scraping about every 15 minutes. Stir more frequently if not using a non-stick pot.

Cook until the grits are fully softened and thickened into a spoonable porridge. This could take up to an hour. The pinch of baking soda raises the pH of the stock and helps break down the grits more quickly, so it may not take that long.  Add the gruyère and the optional butter if using, and stir until totally incorporated into the grits. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the grits warm (you can place some parchment paper on top to help prevent a skin from forming).

Heat the bacon over high heat in a large frying pan until sizzling. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the bacon has rendered its fat and become crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the bacon and place it on paper towels (leaving as much bacon fat in the pan as possible). You should have 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat in the skillet. Remove all but one tablespoon of fat and reserve the rest.

Return the pan to high and heat until very lightly smoking. Add shrimp and quickly cook one side and then the other. There should only be a faint trace of translucence remaining in the center of each shrimp. Transfer shrimp to a plate.

Add three tablespoons of reserved bacon fat to the pan and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers (if there isn't enough, use vegetable oil). Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their liquid, about 3 minutes; scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Continue cooking mushrooms, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes; if the pan becomes too dry, add vegetable oil, one tablespoon at a time, to keep it lubricated. Stir in the shallot, garlic, and cayenne and cook until shallot and garlic are softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the remaining 3/4 cup stock and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in shrimp. Lower the heat to medium-low and whisk in butter until thoroughly melted and emulsified with the sauce. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon grits into warmed bowls and top with shrimp, mushrooms, and their sauce. Top with reserved crispy bacon and additional herbs for garnish. Serve immediately

Cooking Ahead: The stock, sauce, and bacon can be prepared in advance, allowing you to cook the grits and shrimp just before serving

Howie's Wine Team Suggests:  Patrick Puize Chablis from Burgundy. The richness from the dish will be perfectly balanced with the texture and raciness from the wine