Tuesday, July 20, 2010

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?

17 comments:

  1. Heavy cream and butter with grits? Yum! I bet its tasty enough to be a dessert.

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  2. YUM!! I LOOOOVE grits!!!!! This recipe sounds amazing and I want to try it like right now. LOL Wonder how some shrimp would taste in there? I might have to find out tonight!!! Thanks girl!

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  3. I am embarrassed to admit, I've never had grits (Yep, I'd be from the North!).

    I've always wanted to give them a try. This recipe seems like the perfect place to start.

    Heavy cream, butter, and roasted corn? What could be better?

    YUM!

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  4. The only grits I've ever liked where the ones from Zea! How funny you posted this!

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  5. I grew up *hating* grits. I'm very sensitive to texture in foods, and I didn't like the soupy, well... grittiness. But then we moved to SC and I tried the grits here and fell in LOVE!! They're so fluffy and creamy and buttery!

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  6. I love grits! All my life, people have said that I eat it like people up North eat theirs- with butter and sugar! Yummy!!!

    I have never had grits from Zea's, but the next time I go there, I will have to try them.

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  7. this is one of my "dazzle" dishes that I make for people who are from out of town- you know what else is yummy- if you saute crawfish tails with some garlic, onions, celery, etc. and spoon the tail mixture over the cooked corn grits. Yum.

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  8. I have never tried grits, but I want to now! You make me hungry! XO :)

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  9. I did not grow up on grits but some how reading about food has made me hungry for an afternoon snack!! =)

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  10. Yum! Love this, sounds delicious!! Hope you are doing great NOLA girl!

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  11. Sounds delicious! I've never been a fan of grits, but this recipe looks great!

    Enter to win an Oufi London leather handbag! (Retail value: $140)

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  12. I make a mean cornbread, this looks tasty

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  13. I love grits with some bacon and lots of cheese and butter! Healthy I know! LOL! Funny though Hub didn't grow up with grits and he hates them. No matter how i cook them!

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  14. Can you come over and make them for me? HA!

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  15. They do sound yummy!

    My father is retired Air Force and we lived in North Dakota for 2 years. The base grocery store didn't carry grits and my grandmother had to ship boxes of cheese grits to us.

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