shrimp and grits, part deux

i know i have talked about shrimp and grits a lot on here, and many, many people have emailed me to ask for the recipe. so--without further ado, i am just posting the thing. this is my favorite of dozens of shrimp and grits recipes floating around out there. it's mostly bill neal's, with a couple of little variations. i highly recommend making some biscuits to go with this. anyway--here you go, people (and rita):

first prepare grits--use good stone ground coarse grits--it makes all the dfference. well--that and lots of cheese. :)

1 c grits
4 c water, milk, or chicken broth
2-3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch white pepper

in a med saucepan, bring water (or milk or chicken broth or combination thereof) to a boil, stir in grits, turn heat to low, and simmer for at least 20 minutes, adding more liquid as necessary. remove grits from heat, and stir in remaining ingredients until well blended and smooth. cover and reseerve.

now for the shrimp:

1 pound fresh shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
6 slices bacon, diced
peanut oil
2 c sliced mushrooms
1 c finely sliced scallions
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce (optional)

saute bacon in a lage skillet until the edges are brown but bacon is not yet crisp. remove bacon with slotted spoon and reserve. add enough peanut oil to pan dripngs to create a 1/8-inch layer of fat and heat on med-high. when oil is very hot, add the shrimp in an even layer. as the shrimp start to color, add the mushrooms and saute for about 4 minutes. stir in scallions and then add garlic through a press and cook for about one more minute. stir in the reserved bacon. last, add the lemon juice and parsley. remove from heat, and season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce if desired.

divide the grits among 4 plates. spoon the shrimp over the grits and serve immediately.