Southern Cooking is renowned across the country for warming the soul and the belly, it reminds many people of home and we can't get enough of it! Southern food is a blend of cultures and cuisines from around the world, thanks to the vast variety of people who decided to call south of the Mason Dixon home throughout history. It's hard to think of anyone who doesn't enjoy some kind of southern meal, be it creole or some NC Barbecue.
After picking up the Deep South cookbook and exploring the many delicious and distinctly southern recipes inside, I realized that it needed to have a home in Small Batch. We already have classic stone ground grits from LuQuire Family Foods, so the pair were a match made it heaven. Not only that but we realized together they were a perfect client gift, great for welcoming people to the south, or even sending some southern charm to our friends and clients in other parts of the country.
We decided to highlight one of our favorite recipes from the Deep South Cookbook here today. It's a tried and true classic that never goes out of style. Shrimp and Grits. 
(Serves 4)
7oz streaky bacon, cut into thin lardons
7oz button mushrooms, cut into quarters
20 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4oz white wine
a bunch of spring onions (scallions) finely chopped
4tsp lemon juice
sea salt
For the Grits
5 1/2 oz coarse stone-ground corn grits
10oz milk
10oz water
3 1/2 oz unsalted butter
7oz mature cheddar, grated
10 dashes of Tabasco sauce
Directions
To cook the grits, add them to a medium-sized pot with the milk, water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer slowly for 20-30 minutes, until they have the consistency of porridge. Remove from the heat and stir in butter, cheese, Tabasco and salt to taste. Keep warm.
Put the bacon lardons in a large frying pan and cook slowly to render the fat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Raise the heat to high, add the mushrooms to the bacon fat with a pinch of salt and sauté quickly until they have taken on a little color. Next, season the shrimp with salt and add to the pan. Now, quickly, in order to avoid overcooking the prawns, return the bacon to the pan with the garlic and spring onions. Toss gently to bring the flavors together. Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the base of the pan. Add the lemon juice. Serve immediately on top of grits, either in shallow bowls or on rimmed plates.
We would love to know what you think of this dish!! To let us know, post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and mention @shopatsmallbatch!
