This wonderful side dish is inspired by a recipe from Ben's mama, fancied up a bit. It's cheeze-a-licious!
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock + 1 cup water (or use 3 cups water instead)
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup white grits (preferably stone-ground, definitely not instant)
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 1/2 cups white or yellow sharp cheddar, grated
- 1/4 cup roasted garlic puree or 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt, coarsely ground black pepper, and Tabasco to taste
- 1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin crosswise
1. Butter a 2-quart casserole or souffle dish.
2. In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the stock, water, half-and-half, and salt to a boil. Stir in the grits, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick, smooth, and creamy (the consistency of polenta).
3. Beat the egg yolks, temper with a spoonful of hot grits, and then stir into the grits. Stir in the cheese, garlic puree, and butter, and season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste. Cool at room temperature.
4. An hour before serving, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites and scallions into the grits mixture and spoon into the buttered souffle dish. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the grits are set. (If the surface appears to be browning too much, cover with foil until set.) Serve immediately.
This recipe is from the book Not Afraid of Flavor:Recipes from the Magnolia Grill by Award-Winning Chefs Ben and Karen Barker
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