Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr
When Craig Claiborne accepted an invitation to a hunt breakfast in Virginia, he didn't understand that riding a horse would be part of the deal. He found the experience hair-raising but furnished us with a delightful account of that weekend — along with this fluffy rendition of the South's beloved grits. It makes a good side dish to almost any meat — especially ham, of course.
• You can use a double boiler to cook grits, but we think it's easier to stir them in a metal bowl as they thicken.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Whisk grits into boiling water in a metal bowl, then set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in 1 cup milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 15 minutes. Grits will be very thick.
Step 4
Remove bowl from heat and stir in remaining cup milk and butter. Return bowl to simmering water and cook, stirring, until smooth and heated through, about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Remove bowl from heat and whisk in yolks, then cool to lukewarm.
Step 6
Beat egg whites with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold into grits gently but thoroughly.
Step 7
Turn mixture into a buttered 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish and bake in middle of oven until browned and puffed, 40 to 45 minutes.
