Tasty Tuesdays: Zea's Roasted Corn Grits

This past weekend, we spent some time with friends at a beach house in Edisto.  We all took turns making meals for the everyone, and Mark and I signed up to prepare breakfast Saturday morning.  I wanted to have a few things that were easy to whip up, tasty, and balanced between sweet and savory.  So we came up with the following menu: monkey bread, bacon, watermelon slices, and roasted corn grits.  Mmmmm! 

Grits were a staple in our house.  I think we ate grits at least once a week.  And where I came from, chicken soup took a seat on the back burner as the cure for the common cold, because when I was under the weather, all I wanted was a bowl of my mom's cheese grits.  Just thinking about them makes me feel warm and cozy inside. 

I honestly thought that in every house all over the world kids were getting rid of the sniffles with a bowl of delicious grits.  It was not until I got to college that I realized grits were regional.  I think I felt the earth move when I learned that my new suitemate from Pittsburgh had no idea what they were as we passed through the Sunday brunch line on our first weekend at Loyola.  Seriously, she pointed to the bubbling blend of ground white corn and butter and asked "what is that" as though she were referring to some kind of bug or rodent.  I thought she was kidding at first!  Nope, she really had no idea what it was we were scooping into our bowls.  So my roommate (also of the grits for sniffles variety) and I sat in awe as she tasted her first bowl of grits.  I think she liked them!  I felt like a proud mama hen sharing our Southern ways with the world!

If you are also of the grits variety, you will die over this recipe!  These are seriously the best darn grits you'll ever get your hands on.  When you read the ingredients, you'll probably ask - how couldn't they be delicious, look what's in them!  I wouldn't try to make a lowfat variety in this case.  I would simply limit how often you make them.  They're really too good to change!  They originate from a restaurant in New Orleans called Zea Rotisserie & Grill. 

Zea's Roasted Corn Grits

Serves 4 (but it's rich and could easily serve 8)

Ingredients

2 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup yellow grits

1/2 pound butter

1 tablespoon salt

1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed (Or a one pound bag of frozen corn, thawed, and charred in a bit of butter in a cast iron skillet).

Directions

Bring liquids to a boil. Stir in grits. Add butter. Cook at simmer until thickened. At end, stir in corn.  This process takes about 25 minutes.

**If you don't have an ear of grilled corn around, you can still make this recipe!  I used a bag of frozen corn which I had let thaw.  I added two tbsp of butter to a skillet and let it melt.  Then I added in the corn and let it saute for ten minutes or so.  I wanted a nice char on my corn so I waited until I began to hear the kernels pop before stirring the corn.  I find adding additional corn gives the dish a little heartiness that works well when serving it for such a large group.

Did you grow up with grits?  What's you favorite way to eat them?