Tastiest, creamiest Grits EVER!!!

OK, I love grits!  I always have.  Even before people knew how to make them right.  What do I mean by that?  I have always had a theory that when most people say the don't like a particular food, they just haven't had it cooked right.

For instance, in most restaurants here in the South, grits have seemed to be an afterthought.  For years most restaurants just dumped them in a huge kettle of water and boiled them until they resembled wallpaper paste, in consistency and flavor.  It was left up to the self-respecting Southerner to add the salt, pepper, and butter.

Then along came the era of fine dining in the South where dishes once considered mountain cooking, or Soul food all of the sudden were all the rage.  Dishes like Shrimp and Grits (a Low Country favorite), or Grillades and Grits (a Creole Restaurant staple) were appearing on menus in all type of fine dining establishments in the South.  So Grits got an upgrade.

First thing you know is now they're getting enhanced by ingredients like cheese, andouille sausage, pesto (eww yuck) and even pimento cheese (hmmmm... sounds interesting).  The list of additives is endless.  Let's talk now about how to fix the best plain grits you've ever eaten.

OK, I am using Quick Grits for this, yes I have fixed the venerable stone ground grits.  They are tasty but they do take alot of time and still don't always get tender.  Adhering to the warning from  "My Cousin Vinnie"'s claim that "no self-respecting Southerner would use instant grits" I do actually use Quick Grits, a happy medium.  Instant grits are just that, dump them in hot water and they're done.  Quick Grits on the other hand require you to boil the water, add the grits and cook for around 5 mins.  There are several brands, Quaker Oats, Jim Dandy, WalMart, etc.  All are about the same.  So here we go.

BTW, I had the "best grits ever in a restaurant" recently in Isle of Palms SC at Acme Lowcountry Kitchen.  What great food and wonderful folks here at this restaurant.  I also want to give a Grits Shout-out to The Noisy Oyster in Charleston SC near the market.  Their Shrimp and Grits were the second best I've had... next to mine.  I highly recommend both of these restaurants when in the Charleston/Folly Beach area.

Tastiest, creamiest Grits EVER!!!

1⅓ cups of water
1⅓ cups of Heavy Cream
⅔ cups of Quick Grits
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp Tony Chachere's
1 tbs butter

Boil the water on MED HI in a medium sized pot, add spices, once boiling add cream, bring back up to a boil.  Now add the grits, whisking them in as you pour them to prevent lumpiness.  Stir them well and bring up to a boil.  Now turn them down to LOW and let them cook for about 5 mins with a lid on, stirring occaisionally.  Add butter and whisk it in.  Turn off stove and let grits sit for about 10 mins before serving.  I believe you'll agree they are wonderful.


For Cheese Grits, you can add a cup of your shredded Colby/Jack cheese if you'd like after the butter has melted.  Adding Andouille Sausage requires you to micro dice the sausage and add it to the water in the first step.

Have fun and experiment with your grits, a grit is a terrible thing to waste.

RouxBDoo

For my Shrimp and Grits recipe, (pictured above) click HERE