Winyah Bay Shrimp and Grits

WINYAH BAY SHRIMP AND GRITS

Ingredients
4 cups water
1 cup Regular grits
1 cup Half and Half
1/2 link Hillshire sausage or sausage of choice
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup raw country ham
1/2 onion (optional)
4-5 Tbsp Flour
4 cups shrimp stock(chicken will work too)
2 Pounds raw peeled Winyah Bay shrimp (keep peel for making stock)
Chopped Parsley



First Make The Grits:
Bring 4 Cups Salted Water To A Boil (add a pat of butter to prevent sticking)
Add 1 Cup regular grits and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until
done, about 20 minutes.
Stir In About One Cup Cream Or Half And Half And Keep On Warm, Stirring Occasionally
(If It Seems Too Thin Leave The Top Off)

Now, The Shrimp:
Put 1/2 Link of Hillshire Sausage (pierced all over) In a 400 Degree Oven For 8 Mins.
Remove And When Cool, Slice Into 1 cm Rounds, Reserve.
Melt 3 Tbsp of Butter Over Medium Heat,
And Add 1/2 Cup Raw Country Ham (like Smithfield/Tasso) Cut Into Julienne.
Cook A Few Minutes And Then Add 1/2 onion, Chopped fine, And The Reserved Sausage
Cook A Few More Minutes.
Add 4-5 Tbsp Flour And Cook, Stirring constantly,You're Making A Blond Roux Here.
After A Few More Minutes, Add 4 Cups Of Stock
Bring To A Boil; Reduce Heat And Simmer, Stirring Constantly Until It Thickens. You Should
Have A Nice Gravy;
If It Just Won't Thicken You can Add A Tbsp Of Cornstarch Dissolved In A Tbsp Of Water.
Now, Add 2 Pounds Of Raw Peeled Shrimp Into The Simmering Gravy
Simmer Just A Few Minutes Until They Just Turn Pink.
To Finish, Add Some Grinds Of Pepper (it's loaded with salt from the ham)
A Fistful Of Chopped Parsley, And Serve In Bowls Over A Bed Of The Grits.