Shrimp Rice

• 2 pounds (910g) small shrimp
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 large onion, diced
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick / 55g) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt, preferably Gold Medal
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 cups (555g) long-grain white rice, rinsed

Peel, devein, and wash the shrimp. Remove the tails. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon for about 5 minutes, or until crisp, and chop it into small pieces. Add the onion and cook it with the bacon for 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the onion to become coated with bacon fat.

In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cooked shrimp from the butter and add it to the skillet with the bacon and onion. Add 4 ½ cups (1 L) tepid water along with seasoning salt and crushed red pepper. Bring the water to a boil, then add the uncooked rice. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed almost all of the water, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir with a fork to ensure the rice is fluffy and serve.

Excerpted from the new book Gullah Geechee Homecooking: Recipes from The Matriarch of Edisto Island, by Emily Meggett, published by Abrams. Text © 2022 Emily Meggett. Photography © 2022 by Clay Williams.