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Buttered Grits

Source of Recipe

From "The New Orleans Kitchen" by Justin Devillier


Recipe Introduction

"The goal is to make these insanely rich grits taste like movie theater popcorn—salty, buttery, corny, and completely delicious. There's an almost (almost!) outrageous amount of butter in these—don't eat them every day, even though you'll definitely want to. My sister, who used to hate grits, once said, 'I don't know what the difference is, but these grits have made me a believer.' I have yet to tell her why they're so good. I can't help but notice the similarities between polenta and grits, so I treat them similarly: Bring the liquid to just under a boil, slowly whisk in the grits, then decrease the heat and stir frequently and for a long time, until they're perfectly creamy and tender. A lot of the success here has to do with getting the heat level just right—if the temperature is too high, the grits will be stiff, and if it's too low, they'll be wet. Just play around a little bit with the heat and keep a few tablespoons of extra mill (or water) on hand to adjust the texture so the grits stay creamy the entire time that they cook. If the grits seem too thin, just let them cook a little more. You really can't overcook grits."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  1 quart water, plus more as needed
â—¦  1 quart whole milk, plus more as needed
â—¦  1 ½ cups medium-grind grits
â—¦  ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
â—¦  1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed


Recipe

In a medium pot, bring the water and milk to just under a boil, then slowly whisk in the grits and continue whisking, making sure there are no lumps, until the mixture comes up to temperature.

Decrease the heat to low, switch to a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are creamy and tender. If you're lucky enough to be using very freshly stone-ground grits, this might only take 45 minutes, but if you're using store-bought grits that may have been sitting on the shelf for longer, it might take up to 1 ½ hours. Around the 45-minute mark, start tasting in 5-minute increments until the grits are the consistency of your liking. Each time you stir the mixture, dislodge any grits that are beginning to thicken on the side or bottom of the pot to prevent them from overcooking into hard chunks. Adjust the consistency with a few tablespoons of water or milk if necessary.

Slowly stir in the butter and add the salt. Taste and stir in more salt as needed. Transfer to a shallow serving plate and serve hot. The grits can be held over very low heat for up to 2 hours before serving. Leftovers keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300° F oven.

Makes 6 to 8 servings