This past Christmas, I had the opportunity, rather the great fortune, to eat grits made by my brother, Trey. They were hands-down the best grits I have ever put in my mouth. Last week I made Uncle Trey’s Grits and tweaked them a bit as I was short on cream. Dare I say, they are even more amazing? I still give full credit to my brother because if it wasn’t for him, I would have never thought to take the improvisational path I did that kicked them up a notch. For the sake of future generations, I am taking this moment to record the concoction that led to tastebud heaven.
First you start with old fashion grits, not the instant or 5-minute stuff. We use Quaker Old Fashioned. Follow the directions on the container for the serving size of your choosing except…whatever the quantity of water use 75% chicken broth and split the other 25% between heavy cream and sour cream. For instance if you are making the recipe that serves 6, the instructions call for 6 cups of water. I used 4.5 cups of chicken broth, 3/4 cups of heavy cream and 3/4 cups of sour cream. Put it all in the pot, add 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, and bring it to a boil. Slowly add in the grits and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.
Another bit of genius I learned from Uncle Trey is what to do with the leftovers….if you have any! I always make more than I need so I will have leftovers cuz leftovers are always better. Spread the leftover grits in a small dish to make them about an inch thick and put the dish in the fridge. When you’re ready to have some, slice off what you want, and put it in a heated pan with hot olive oil. Fry both sides so the grit patty gets a little bit of crisp on it. Bam! Eat that!
The House on Avenue B 