Southern · Authentic-ish Southern
prawn and Grits
340 kcal a serving, against 488 for the traditional version. That is 148 kcal off, or 30%, with 38g of protein. Serves 4. 50 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Classic prawn and grits starts with 200g stone-ground grits simmered in 600g water, 100g double cream and 60g unsalted butter until they go soft, rich and thick. For the topping, start with 80g smoked back bacon, fry until the fat runs, then add 350g raw prawns, 40g onion and 2 cloves of garlic, with a dash of black pepper and a stingy shake of paprika. Tip the prawns and bacon over the grits and finish with a handful of parsley. The cream and bacon fat is what makes the base dreamy; skip it and you're halfway to porridge.
What changed, and what each change costs
Double cream and most of the butter to chicken stock and a splash of semi-skimmed milk
Swapping most of the cream and butter for chicken stock drops the fat by about three quarters, and you still get a savoury base that isn't just bland maize. A bit of milk keeps it from going entirely spartan.
What it costs you. You'll lose that thick, spoon-coating finish and a lot of the butter flavour. What you get is lighter, tastes of maize, and you'll need to season it properly. If you love the original, you'll know what's missing.
Bacon-fried prawns to prawns cooked in a dry non-stick pan
Bacon fat means more flavour, but leaving it out is an easy win for anyone trying to spend the morning upright. The prawns are still sweet and the sauce gets a little help from stock instead.
What it costs you. No bacon, so you lose both smoke and crunch. If you cry into your prawns, I'm not offended. A pinch of smoked paprika tries to help but it isn't the same.
Increase prawn weight, lower grits per head
Doubling the prawns and cutting the grits means more actual protein in your bowl for the same size portion. This makes it a proper meal rather than a plate of savoury porridge.
What it costs you. If you want a giant, comforting bowl of beige, you'll be short-changed. But you're here for the prawns, so pile them high and don't worry about it.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 488 | 340 |
| Protein | 26.3g | 38g |
| Fat | 23.4g | 5.4g |
| Saturated fat | 14g | 1.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.3g | 34.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.4g | 11.2g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Southern prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. crustaceans, milk.
The method is in the book
If you're after a big, silky puddle of maize and cream, you will feel robbed. This is prawn-forward, fresh, and actually lets you taste what you paid for. It's breakfast that won't leave you asleep by ten. Just don't let anyone from Charleston see what you've done.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Southern, along with 50 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.