For an herbaceous take on Southern shrimp and grits, chef Carla Hall cooks grits in her fragrant Fennel Potlikker. By giving the grits a good rinse, bringing them up to a boil from cold, and cooking them slowly and with frequent stirring, Hall ensures maximum creaminess without any dairy. The dish is rounded out with tomatoey shrimp and fresh fennel fronds. Making the Fennel Potlikker is a crucial first step here, so be sure to read through that recipe first.

Recipe information

• Yield4 servings

Ingredients

2½ cups (or more) Fennel Potlikker, divided

1 cup stone-ground or regular yellow grits, rinsed, drained

1 bay leaf

3 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp.Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more

2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup finely chopped fennel stems

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 plum tomatoes, cored, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fennel fronds

Preparation

1. Step 1Combine 2 cups potlikker and 2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan; whisk in grits. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add bay leaf and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook, whisking often, until grits are thick and creamy, 40–45 minutes if using stone-ground grits or 20–25 minutes if using regular grits. Stir in 1 tsp. pepper and season with salt. Remove and discard bay leaf. Cover pan and keep grits warm over very low heat, whisking occasionally.
2. Step 2
   Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and remaining 1 tsp. pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, add shrimp to skillet and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
3. Step 3
   Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel stems to skillet; cook, stirring often, until starting to brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and remaining ½ cup potlikker. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes have begun to fall apart, about 5 minutes.
4. Step 4
   Return shrimp to skillet and cook until opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper; remove skillet from heat.
5. Step 5
   If grits have stiffened, loosen with a little more potlikker or water before dividing among bowls. Top with shrimp and sauce. Scatter fennel fronds over.