Grits
are one of those food products that must be salted early in the
preparation or you will never achieve that balanced taste; salt
the water first was Nanny's direction, and continuously whisk
the grits while slowly introducing into the hot liquid until the
ingredients are smooth. I
frequently prepare grits with chicken broth rather than water
for added flavor and add a dash of cream or half and half just
before serving.
For
countless years this product of processed corn was thought to
only be a breakfast food, then chefs and foodies began using it
for a background product, or a sponge to soak up and augment the
flavors, and now it has become a dish that is served as savory
and is becoming more popular with the younger generation.
Grits
are a food manufactured from corn, ground into a coarse meal;
and then boiled. Hominy
grits are a type made from hominy after the germ is removed and
treated during a process known as nixtamalization. Some
people wonder if grits and polenta are similar food products,
and that is accurate; corn meal is also a close relative.
Grits
have a lengthy entry in Wikipedia and a website that proclaims
with humor, grits; no one can eat just one. If
you have ever watched the movie "My Cousin Vinny", it is
declared that you cannot cook grits in less than ten minutes; it
takes a while, at least twenty minutes, to achieve the best
tasting product. If
you want to accomplish the best flavor and texture, please do
not choose instant grits, you will never get the best flavor and
consistence out of that product. As
Mr. Tipton stated in the movie; "no self-respectin' Southerner
uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits. "
Otto's mother, Myrtle Brown Murray
always ate grits with her fried fish, and my great grandmother,
Miss Lottie enjoyed grits with red eye gravy. Paula
Deen enjoyed shrimp and grits so much that it was a recipe
featured at her wedding reception when she married Michael and
they served the delicacy in martini glasses.
Cook the grits as Paula suggests
with shrimp broth to enhance the flavor. Prepare
the shrimp in a skillet or broiler and after cooling and peeling
them, place the shells in a boiler with water and cook down by
half. Use
the strained liquid to prepare grits and the flavor is
unbelievable.