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1
Start by making the grits.
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2
Bring the 3 cups of liquid to a simmer in a sauce pot.
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3
Slowly whisk in the grits.
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4
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits are nice and thick, about 10 to 20 minutes depending on your grits.
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5
Season with salt and pepper.
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6
Put the butter on top to melt and keep a skin from forming; youll whisk it in later.
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7
Meanwhile, make the shrimp.
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8
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
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9
Add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until translucent; a little color is okay, but not too much.
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10
Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
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11
Add the sausage and cook until browned all the way through, breaking up the larger chunks with your cooking implement of choice as you go.
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12
At this point, you want about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
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13
If you dont have that, add a little butter to get there.
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14
Sprinkle the flour over and mix it into the sausage well, making sure it combines with the fat and theres no raw flour lingering in the pan.
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15
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to get rid of the raw floury taste.
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16
Whisk in a cup of stock and the whole milk, stirring constantly to incorporate the roux.
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17
Bring to a low boil and evaluate the thickness; use more stock to get the sauce to a gravy-like consistency.
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18
Add the bay leaf, thyme, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, and let simmer to combine the flavors.
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19
Just before youre ready to serve, add the vinegar.
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20
Stir to combine, and drop in the shrimp.
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21
Poach them in the gravy until theyre just cooked through.
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22
Meanwhile, whisk the butter into the grits; if theyve gotten too thick, thin them out with a little more stock, milk or cream.
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23
Put a (reasonable) pile of grits in your bowl, and add a ladle or two of gravy and sausage, making sure you get 4 to 7 shrimp (depending on their size) per serving.
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24
Add a chive if you require visual appeal.
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25
Eat, making sure you have a spoon to get all the gravy-soaked grits that will remain at the bottom of the bowl.
