Recipe by Chef Jeff Allen
Photos by Richard Van De Water, Giard & Co.
Ingredients
2 oz. bacon fat
2 oz. tasso ham, medium dice
½ yellow onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
½ lb. oyster mushrooms, chopped
¼ lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 lb. local shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 oz. white wine
¼ lb. butter
¼ lb. all-purpose flour
2 qts. ham stock
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Directions
Sweat the tasso in the bacon fat (cook gently over medium heat to release flavor without browning).
Add garlic and onions; cook until translucent.
Add the peppers and mushrooms; cook down for 4 minutes.
Season the raw shrimp with salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes, then deglaze with wine.
Add butter to melt, then add flour and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes, letting it thicken.
Meet Chef Jeff Allen
Executive Chef, Millers All Day, Charleston, SC
Tell us about your love for local ingredients?
I love working with local farmers and seeing the passion they have for their work. Face-to-face interaction is big for me—seeing who I am buying from. Knowing how much effort goes into growing the wide variety of produce that these farmers grow is often taken for granted, with big companies selling cheaper products. You can taste the difference in quality and flavor when it comes from a local farmer.
What’s something most people don’t know about cooking with grits?
If you soak the grits overnight in water and drain them the next day, they will cook a lot faster.
Is there a Southern dish with grains that instantly takes you back to your roots?
Rice Pudding. My mom used to make rice pudding for all holidays. She would stand at the stove and stir the rice until it was cooked, saying, “You can’t let it stick or get overcooked.”
What local farms or producers do you love working with most?
Lowcountry Fungi, King Tide Farms, Storey Farms, and Marsh Hen Mill.
If someone’s never cooked with grits before, what’s your best tip for making them shine?
Make sure you buy the stone-ground grits and go low and slow. You don’t want to rush them and burn the pot.
