John's Basic GRITS Recipe

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

PROPER GUIDANCE

It is difficult to separate the philosophy of cooking GRITS from the actual cooking, but I will try to present just the mechanics here.

WATER SELECTION

Some people do not like to start with hot tap water, but I do not care.

I always check to be sure that there is no mud in the water because we occasionally have water main breaks that render the water yukky.

I also smell the water, especially in August. Our water comes from Hillsdale lake, and when it doesn't rain for a while and its really hot, there is some kind of "algae bloom" and the water smells like a guppy tank.

So, if it looks good and it smells good, use it.

(COOKING) POT SELECTION

Pick a mama bear pot.

A baby bear pot will be too small, and the GRITS will boil over when boiling rapidly.

A daddy bear pot will be too big, the GRITS will be too shallow in the pot, and will be more apt to stick to the bottom of the pot.

I use a stainless steel pot. Never, never, never use an aluminum pot; it is too hard to spell.

STIRRING TOOL SELECTION

What, guidance for a spoon!

Yes. It is important to use the correct stirring tool (stirrer).

While cooking, you don't "spoon" the GRITS, "fork" the GRITS, or "ladle" the GRITS. You "stir" the GRITS. So the correct stirrer is chosen for its stirring capabilities.

The requirements for a stirrer are that it not impart any "flavor" to the GRITS.

Metal stirrers impart a metallic flavor, wooden stirrers impart a woody flavor, and plastic stirrers are flimsy.

My favorite stirrer is a large slotted metal stirring/serving spoon that has a plastic coating (to protect non-stick cooking surfaces).

BOILING THE WATER

This shouldn't be too tough. Just make sure the water is at a rolling boil.

ADDING THE GRITS

GRITS does not have a propensity to clump or stick, but it will. Add all of the GRITS quickly, but not all at once. Stir as you add. Once the GRITS are dispersed in the water, then just let them boil.

BOILING THE GRITS

Boil the GRITS hard for as long as it takes for the "foaming" to stop. You can stir the GRITS to minimize boil-over, or remove the GRITS from the heat momentarily to reduce foaming. The foaming will stop, and the GRITS will start "chattering" in the pot. (I love this sound.) Reduce heat.

ADDING SALT AND BUTTER/MARGARINE

Add the salt. This is a minimum amount of salt. We will salt to taste later.

Add the butter/margarine. Don't leave out the butter/margarine!

SIMMERING THE GRITS/SALTING TO TASTE

You can remove the GRITS from the heat briefly to let them settle down after boiling. Then simmer covered on lowwwww. The GRITS should bubble very slowly. The instructions on the box says to simmer 5-7 minutes. Do it.

Once a minute or so, uncover the GRITS, stir them and taste them. If they need a little salt, add a little salt, but add only a little salt. Stir again and recover.

To taste the GRITS, remove a small amount of them onto a small plate. Blow on them, then use a fork or spoon to transfer them to your mouth. Do not try to put the large slotted, metal, plastic-coated stirrer into you mouth.

It is critical that you get the correct amount of salt for your taste.

You can also "cook" the GRITS longer by removing them from the heat and just letting them sit until you are ready to eat.

WHAT, NO PEPPER?

This is a basic recipe. Learn to make plain/palatable GRITS first before moving on to actually good-tasting GRITS.

EATING THE GRITS

There is a separate page devoted to eating and sculpting GRITS.

 

Last revised: 4-27-97 Don't you have a button?