MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Basic Grits
 Categories: Starch, American, Corby
      Yield: 1 Servings

      1 qt Water
      2 tb Butter
           Salt to taste
      1 c  Stone-ground whole-grain
           - grits

  THE BEST GRITS

  Supermarket grits are processed hominy: corn that's been treated in an
  alkaline solution so that the hulls and germ float to the surface.
  Thus bleached, the corn is dried, enriched (some of the nutrients
  lost in the processing are added back in) and ground--too fine, to my
  taste. These tasteless, ashen grits are served as a matter of course
  in countless restaurants and homes throughout the South. It's no
  wonder outsiders don't like them.

  When early colonists arrived in the South, the Native Americans made
  hominy by soaking their corn in a solution of lye made from wood
  ashes. Ashen grits were made to preserve the grain through the winter
  and spring, when temperatures often stayed in the 70s and 80s. This
  processing was of course unnecessary up north.

  When I went looking for great grits, I tried more than two dozen mills
  before I found one that could consistently provide coarse-ground,
  whole-grain grits (see Ingredients and Sources). I now sell tons of
  the best grits I've ever eaten. They taste like freshly ground corn
  because they are just that; when cooked, they resemble creamed fresh
  corn, but are starchier. They can be used just like pasta or rice.
  Not only local home cooks and restaurateurs, but also cooks
  throughout the country have added real grits to their menus, so that
  old southern favorites like Lowcountry shrimp and grits have
  reentered the culinary vernacular as if they had never been missing.

  Some people cook their grits for a long, long time. It's true that the
  longer they cook, the creamier they become. You can put them in a slow
  cooker overnight, and they'll be delicious. But you can easily cook
  grits in less than 30 minutes if you're willing to watch the pot and
  stir occasionally. Cooked grits can then be enriched with egg, poured
  into a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or greased baking pan, and
  refrigerated. The chilled grits are then unmolded, cut into portions,
  dusted with flour or cornmeal, and pan-fried like polenta.

  Grits invite a host of accompaniments. Any sauce or gravy that you
  would put on pasta or rice is ideal. If you plan to serve the grits
  plain, a little stock made from trimmings from the main course is a
  welcome addition if stirred in near the end of the cooking.
  PROCEDURE: Bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil in a stockpot.
  Gradually add the grits, return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  Cook the grits, stirring occasionally so that that they do not stick
  or form a skin, until creamy and done to your liking, about 25
  minutes. Many people like to cook them much longer; if you do, you
  may have to add more water.

  When the grits are almost done, you can turn the pan down to its
  lowest setting and cover it while you prepare the rest of the meal.

  MM format by  Manny Rothstein, 7/15/98.

  Recipe-of-the-Month -- April 1995, By Corby Kummer

  "From The New Southern Cook",  by John Martin Taylor. Bantam, 1995.
  Hardcover $27.95.

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