Email to Cat      

Foolproof Grits

Source of Recipe


From "Deep Run Roots" by Vivian Howard



List of Ingredients



• 1 cup grits
  
• 3¼ cups milk
  
• 1½ tsp salt
  
• 10 turns of the pepper mill or ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 Tbsp butter
  






Instructions



1. In the top section of your double boiler, stir together the grits and the milk. Take a fine-mesh tea strainer and skim away the hulls that float to the top. Getting rid of these will prevent you from having hard, uncooked bits in what should be a creamy finished product.
   
   
2. Heat the double boiler over medium-high. Whisking every few minutes, run the whisk or spoon around the edges to make sure the grits aren't sticking. After about 10 minutes, the milk will start to take hold of the starch, and the mixture will thicken slightly. Depending on the grind of your grits, between 25 and 40 minutes in, they will have completely swollen and become one with the milk.
   
   
3. Stir in the salt, pepper, and butter. Serve warm. If they thicken up like cement before you're able to get them on the table, whisk in warm water or milk to loosen them up. They should be thick, not runny, but should spread when you portion them out.
   
   Makes 3 cups