Recipe contributed to Oxfam by Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket
Ingredients
- Milk, whole 2 Cups
- Chicken stock 2 Cups
- Grits, coarse 1 Cup
- Brown butter, unsalted 4 tbsp
To Serve:
- Milk, or half & half ¼ Cup or up to ½ Cup (as needed)
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated ¼ Cup or more to taste
- Soy sauce, barrel aged to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the milk and chicken stock in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the liquid begins to simmer, add the grits while whisking to make sure that you don’t get any lumps. Dance moves are highly encouraged to aid in the whisking.
- Turn the heat to low and continue to whisk regularly as the grits cook and they are fully tender, approximately 15 minutes.
- While the grits are cooking, bring your butter to a simmer in a small saute pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan and allow the butter to foam and the water in the butter to cook off. Once the butter is done foaming, the milk solids will drop to the bottom of the pan and will begin to brown and develop a nutty scent and flavor. Continue to cook until the milk solids are browned, but not scorched—important to pay close attention here! A step or two over the line from “browned” to “scorched” will lead to temporary disqualification. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Wash that pan out, give yourself some love and forgiveness, and start again.
- Add brown butter to the grits—make sure you listen to the sound as the butter hits the grits… such a great crackle. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat and place a lid on your pot. Allow the grits to steep for another 10 minutes until you are ready to serve.
- Place grits on a low flame and stir to check consistency. Add milk or half and half as needed to get to a creamy texture.
- Season the grits with salt, black pepper, barrel aged soy sauce, and freshly grated parmesan cheese to your liking.
Yield: Six portions
Recipe contributed by Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket for Oxfam and Eat for Equity’s annual BonnaRoots dinner at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Visit mymorningjacket.com and eatforequity.org for more information.