Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

• 2 strips bacon 
• 2  and/or orange bell peppers red seeded sliced
• 0.3 cup parmesan grated
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce hot
• 12 servings salt and pepper 
• 4  scallions thinly sliced
• 1 pound shrimp deveined peeled
• 1 cup milk whole
• 1 cup whole-grain cornmeal yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• whisk

Directions

1. Make grits: In a large pan, bring milk, 3 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil.
2. Add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking, until no lumps are visible. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring and scraping pan every 10 minutes, until tender, 35 minutes. Uncover; cook 5 minutes longer, stirring.
3. While grits cook, fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning, until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Drain on paper towels.
5. Let cool; crumble.
6. Add bell peppers, white parts of scallions, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet with bacon fat. Saut until bell peppers are crisp-tender, 7 minutes. Stir in shrimp, pepper sauce and 1/2 cup water. Saut until shrimp turn almost opaque, 3 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Remove grits from heat; stir in cheese. Divide among 4 bowls; top with shrimp mixture.
9. Garnish with bacon and scallion greens.