Great Grits
 Grits are as much a part of the South as a Southern drawl.
They are one of the few foods that belong almost exclusively to the South. They’ve been around for almost four centuries and have been enjoyed by everyone from Native Americans to former President Jimmy Carter.
Grits are made from dried corn kernels. When hard kernels are soaked in a solution of water and lye to remove the husks, or hulls, the resulting pea-size kernels are called hominy. Grits are hominy that is dried and then ground. They’re one step removed from cornmeal.
Because they’ve been around for such a long time, there are plenty of myths and legends attached to grits.
John Egerton, author of Side Orders, Small Helpings of Southern Cookery and Culture, tells several entertaining stories about grits.
There’s the story about people who used grits to eliminate an infestation of ants, even dreaded fire ants, by pouring a box of dry grits directly onto an ant colony. The ants devoured the grits greedily, the story goes, and then miraculously self-destructed. It’s not clear whether the ants became immobile as the dry weight absorbed their body fluids or whether their thirst caused them to swell up inside.
According to Quaker Grits, grits date as far back as 1607, when the colonists came ashore at Jamestown, Va. They were met by friendly Native Americans offering steaming hot bowls of “rockahominie,” which was softened maize seasoned with salt and animal fat.
Throughout the years, grits have developed into a comfort food that many families enjoy for breakfast and as a delicious side dish. Known as the “Southern oatmeal” before air conditioning was invented; grits were preferred over oatmeal because they could withstand the heat and humidity found in the South.
Grits have also been credited with getting many Southern families through the Depression Era of the 1930s, since grits were plentiful and inexpensive. Today, they're still an economical food. A cup of grits doubles in size when it is cooked and takes on the flavor of any food with which it’s combined.
For many Southerners, a favorite breakfast dish is fried grits, made by slicing leftover grits and frying them in bacon drippings.
Fried grits are part of our heritage, said Camille Glenn, author of The Heritage of Southern Cooking, and they should be served with broiled ham, or bacon and eggs, or game and fish.
At many fancy brunches and parties, you can find grits flavored with cheese and garlic and served in silver dishes. Cheese grits are as much a part of the Kentucky Derby celebration as the horses, and almost every Kentucky cookbook has a recipe for garlic-cheese grits casserole.
Years ago, when you ordered eggs for breakfast at most restaurants in the South, you also got a generous helping of grits. A Southern humorist once joked that the demise of grits was near because he had to ask a waitress to bring him an order. He said, at some restaurants, you not only have to ask for grits but you also have to pay for them.
Occasionally, someone will eat their grits with sugar or honey, and innovative cooks have created recipes for grits pudding and grits with sweet fruit sauces.
This recipe is from Bluegrass Winners, a cookbook published by the Garden Club of Lexington.
Garlic cheese grits
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 1⁄2 cups grits
1 stick butter
3 eggs, well beaten
1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
(about 4 cups)
1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
Cayenne pepper to taste
Bring water to a rapid boil with salt; gradually stir in grits with a fork. Cook until all water is absorbed. Stir in butter bit by bit; carefully add eggs, cheese, garlic and cayenne pepper. Put into greased 2 1⁄2-quart casserole; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings. This dish may be frozen before baking, then thawed and baked. |
