The idea of griddle frying grits isn’t new. You can find it all over the internet and in restaurants and cafes in the South. The hardest part of making this dish is the time in cooking stoneground grits ahead of time. You might be tempted to use instant grits but I implore you to skip them as they have all the flavor of kindergarten paste. You can find stoneground grits at well stocked grocery stores as well as online. It may take longer to make but you’ll be rewarded with actual flavor.
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Calories 300kcal
Author Irvin
Ingredients
1cupstoneground gritsnot instant – see headnote above
2cupschicken stock or broth
2cupswater
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonfresh ground pepper
2tablespoonunsalted butter
1cupwhole milk
1tablespoonolive oil
2medium garlic clovesminced
1/2medium yellow onionchopped
3/4poundbulk breakfast pork sausageor remove from casing if necessary
1/2cupshredded Dubliner or Cheddar Cheese
1teaspoonfresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
To finish
2 to 4tablespoonsolive oil
Instructions
Place the grits, chicken stock, water, salt, pepper and butter in a medium to large pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover, cooking 30 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure the grits aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the milk and continue to cook another 45 minutes, continuing to stir, increasing the frequency of stirring near the end of the cook time as the grits thicken. The grits porridge should be thick in the end, but tender and cooked completely through.
While the grits cook, place the oil in a pan with the garlic and onions. Cook on medium heat until the onions have softened and start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the breakfast sausage and cook until brown and no pink remains. Set aside to cool.
Once the grits are done cooking, removed from heat. Add the cheese, thyme and the cooked sausage, garlic and onion mixture to the grits. Stir to combine and taste (careful it will still be hot!) then add more salt and pepper to taste.
Lightly spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking oil. Pour the grits into the pan and smooth out evenly. Let cool to room temperature then cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, invert the pan onto a large cutting board. Cut into 9 square pieces (3 x 3) then cut each square in half into triangles. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet until it starts to shimmer then carefully place half the grits triangles in the pan. Reduce heat to medium then fry until golden brown on one side, then flip over and fry the other side until the same color. Move to a warm plate, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and repeat with the remaining triangles of grits. Add more oil if the pan looks dry while pan frying