The Cookin’ O’ the Green….Grits, that is!

Corned Beef and Green Grits on a plate

Picture of corned beef with green gritsSt. Patrick’s Day has once again arrived.  Growing up in Southern California the extent to which it was a holiday was pretty much limited to making sure you wore something green to school to prevent being pinched for not having green.  Is that still done?  I don’t think I’ve heard mention of that in ages!

Little did I know that one day I’d be moving to a city that hosted what’s considered the second largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the city.  The city of Savannah swells to about 3-4 times its normal size during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.  The hallmark of the celebration is the parade which started in the 1800’s as Irish Catholic families would walk down Abercorn Street after mass on St. Patrick’s day.  Fast forward to modern times and we have a parade featuring entries from all over the world, the length of which is about 3 hours in length!  Schools let out when the holiday falls on a weekday, most non-hospitality businesses close and people gather to watch the parade either live or in person.

Grits are a mainstay of many a Southern breakfast.  As with anything, grits can be great when they’re well-prepared or downright nasty when not.  Grits don’t take a vacation just because it’s St. Patrick’s Day….they get dressed up in green too!   Green Grits will frequently be a St. Patrick’s Day menu offering for breakfast or brunch.  Unfortunately what makes them green is usually the addition of copious amounts of green food coloring.  In the following recip I’ve replaced the food coloring with the addition of pureed green onions that have been simmered in chicken stock.

Green Grits

Savannah Georgia is home to one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S.  Breakfast and brunch menus in the city are likely to feature Green Grits.  Unfortunately for the guests at those gatherings, the “green” is the result of copious amounts of green food coloring added to the grits.  In this recipe I’ve played off the traditional Irish dish known as “champ” which features green onions simmered in milk and then mixed with creamy mashed potatoes.  In this case, grits replace the mashed potatoes.  Serve these for breakfast, brunch or supper.

 Yield:  6 Servings
2 cups milk

2 cups chicken broth, divided use

1 cup quick-cooking grits

1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 bunches green onions (approximately 1 ½ cups), finely sliced

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

3 cloves garlic, sliced in half

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup shredded Irish cheddar cheese

In a 3 quart saucepan, combine the milk, 2 cups of chicken broth, grits, salt, pepper, and onion powder.  Set aside to allow the grits to begin to soak up the liquid, do not heat the pan.  Allow grits to soak for at least 30 minutes.  (Grits can be soaked up to a day ahead if placed in the refrigerator.)

After grits have soaked, turn heat to medium-high until they start to bubble around the edges.  Using a whisk, stir grits to blend with liquid and break up any clumps that may have formed.  Turn the burner to low and simmer and cook slowly for one hour.

When grits have nearly absorbed all the liquid,  place the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth in a 1quart saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the green onions, parsley, and garlic and turn off the burner.  Stir to immerse fully in the hot stock and wilt the onions and herbs.  Transfer the herb and stock mixture to a blender and blend until mixture is smooth.  Stir the stock mixture into the grits and whisk over low heat until mixture is incorporated and grits have absorbed the additional stock.  If the consistency is too thin, continue to whisk and evaporate moisture.   Add the butter, heavy cream and cheddar cheese.  One the cheese has melted, taste and adjust seasoning.