Scallops and Grits

Over at my Cookbook of the Day blog, we featured Nathalie Dupree's Shrimp and Grits. I thought of that book because last week I made "Scallops and Grits." Check out Dupree’s book and the original recipe for shrimp and grits. Then try these scallops and grits.



Scallops and Grits

1 cup quick cook grits, not instant
4 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 strips of bacon
2 scallions, slice with the white and bit of the green tops
1 clove garlic, crushed
4-5 large scallops
1 tablespoon butter


In a skillet, fry the 2 strips of bacon till crispy, remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. When cool, crumble the bacon.

Add the grits to boiling water in a medium saucepan and stir continuously, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese until incorporated into the grits.

In the skillet with the bacon grease, add the crushed garlic and the scallions and sauté about 1 minute. Add the scallops and sauté about 2 minutes on one side, then turn and cook 2 minutes on the other side. Add the butter allowing it to melt.

Place the grits in a bowl. Spoon the scallops over the grits, and garnish with the crumbled bacon.