Pan Fried Grits... What???

I love grits, and one of my favorite ways to have them is like my Dad used to fix them.  He would make a extra big batch in the morning, we'd eat some and he'd chill the rest in a pan overnight.  Next day he'd remove them from the pan, slice them and fry them.  Oh man were they ever good!

I recently posted a recipe for creamy grits and I thought I'd continue by posting this easy recipe.  I say easy but it's time consuming.  You have to wait a day until the grits are set up and ready to fry.

You'll need to start with a different grit recipe, one that uses no cream, milk, or butter.  I am sure you'll enjoy these wonderful little crunchy goodies.

Grits

1 cup Quick Grits
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation

Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil, add spices, and whisk in grits.  Stir them to prevent lumping.  Quick Grits usually cook in 4 - 5 minutes.  When done and thickened, cover with a lid and set aside.

Line a small pan with plastic wrap,  pour grits into the pan and shake the pan a bit to make sure them are evenly distributed.  Cover them with another sheet of plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 12 - 24 hours.

Fried Grits

One batch of grits (set up)
2 cups plain flour
1 cup of vegetable or corn oil

Once your grits are set up, you'll need to transfer them to a cutting board.  Slice your grits about the thickness of steak fries (as pictured).  You want to handle them real easy so they don't break.  Next, dredge these in flour.  Give them a really good coating of flour, they're slightly sticky so the flour usually adheres well.

Warm your skillet up and bring the flour up to temp.  I cook mine on MED HI, you can check the temp of the oil by dropping a tiny morsel of flour to see if it sizzles.  Fry the grits on both sides in the oil until they're done, nice and crispy.  Again, handle them carefully when turning them in the oil and removing them.  Drain them on a paper towel and serve hot.  These get really hot internally, so be careful.

You can make a more delicate version by lightly flouring the grits and sautéing them in a pan with a tablespoon of butter.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

RouxBDoo