Shrimp Sautéed in Bacon Grease! Say What?

Ever have one of those days where you come home, open the fridge, look around and not have a clue what to make?  (this happens to me daily)  Well today was that day!  I had spinach and shrimp and bacon.  I thought to myself....hmmmm I wonder if you can cook shrimp in bacon grease.  Then I thought maybe not it kind of  sounded gross.  But as we all know you can find anything on the internet so I searched Google for "shrimp cooked in bacon grease" and this is what I got!

And who better to follow their recipe other then the one and only Martha Stewart!
http://www.marthastewart.com/372018/shrimp-sauteed-bacon-and-herbs

Of course I didn't really follow this recipe but it still came out okay.  I took some bacon (about 4 slices) and cut it up into little pieces to cook.  While it cooked, I took some shrimp,  about a 1 1/2 cups of medium size uncooked shrimp, not so jumbo but shrimp none the less, and tossed it with salt, rosemary and thyme. I only had dry herbs so that's what I used.  When the bacon was halfway done, I threw the shrimp in the pan and sautéed till the little shrimps were cooked.  Then I squirted a dash of lemon juice on it for flavor.

While it was hot, I poured in onto a bowl of fresh spinach with chopped red onions and dinner was served.  (I didn't pour the grease from the pan into the salad, just the shrimp and bacon, FYI)

If I had to make again I would adjust a few things, but considering I had limited time and resources it wasn't to bad.  And it gave me my protein, fat and veggies.  Dessert was some very delicious Concord Grapes from the market! YUM

Ingredients

1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail section left on      

For the Sauce

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup homemade or canned low-sodium chicken stock, skimmed of fat
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Seasoning

• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces bacon, cut into 1 1/2-inch dice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 

 

1. Step 1

   In a medium bowl, toss shrimp, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Place bacon in a large skillet, and place over medium-high heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until almost all the fat is rendered, 6 to 7 minutes. Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the shrimp, marinade ingredients, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; saute, turning frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Step 3

   Remove shrimp and bacon, and transfer to serving dish. Add lemon juice and stock to skillet; cook, stirring up cooked-on brown bits. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Swirl in butter; cook, swirling skillet until butter has melted. Pour the sauce over shrimp, and serve with Lentils with Scallions and Peppers.