Learning to Love Grits

Growing up smack in the middle of Georgia, breakfast meant grits, usually served up with a big slice of ham or bacon, a generous pouring of red-eye gravy, and, maybe if you were lucky, a piping hot fresh-from-the-oven biscuit.

I hated them. (Truth is the only breakfast I would eat was a hamburger with french fries, which my guilted mother frequently indulged, but that's another post.) Those runny blobs and gelatinous masses of virtually tasteless ground corn of my childhood could only be made palatable by adding massive amounts of butter, salt, and pepper, and really, what was the point? Our dogs wouldn't even eat them, and I understood why.

So it should come as no surprise that when I left the south, I left grits behind and never looked back. Until recently, when I noticed citified versions of grits popping up on the menus of better eateries across the south, most notably with shrimp. Add Andouille sausage to that combination, and you've really got my attention. I tried them. I liked them, some more than others.

This is my favorite interpretation of the dish, my own. It's a rich, filling meal, more brunch than breakfast, perfect for a lazy Sunday when you plan to eat late and make it a two meal day. Add a cup of cafe au lait, a Mimosa, maybe one of those killer, fresh-from-the-oven, White Lily biscuits with a little dollop of fig jam, and you're good to go until dinner.

The dish is best when you use old-fashioned stone ground grits, not the instant or quick-cooking varieties, (which IMHO are largely responsible for the ill fame grits enjoy). Of course in a pinch, or if you live in a grit forsaken place like California, you can make do with what you have. Just prepare the grits according to package directions substituting half broth and half milk for the liquid. (Better yet, plan ahead and order stone ground grits online.)

Likewise, the recipe gold standard is real Andouille sausage. In a pinch any good, spicy, Polish or Italian sausage would probably suffice. But if you can't find it where you live, it's well worth the trouble to order authentic Andouille from the Cajun Grocer.

Finally, and some might call it overkill, if you want your grits extra, sinfully, deliciously rich, use a cup of heavy cream in place of one of the cups of milk. Grits anybody can love, trust me.

SHRIMP & GRITS WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Shrimp and Sausage:

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus olive oil spray for pan)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, low sodium preferred
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Grits:

1 cup stone-ground coarse grits
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium preferred
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Place a deep skillet over medium heat, spray with olive oil spray and add the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and saute about 2 minutes to soften. Add the sausage and cook until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Slowly pour in 1 cup chicken stock and 1 cup white wine, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add bay leaf. (If mixture becomes too thick, add a little more stock.) When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are pink and firm, and the gravy is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the grits, bring 2 cups of stock, the milk, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the grits and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until grits reach desired consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and add pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon grits into serving bowls, top with shrimp mixture, sprinkle with green onions and parsley. Serves 4

A Creole Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at our house has a distinctly New Orleans flavor. Most people assume that's because my husband hails from the Crescent City, but, truth be told, I was doing the Creole Thanksgiving thing long before I met him. (I joke that's why he married me, and, quite frankly I'm not altogether sure it's not true.!)

Back in November 1987, Bon Appetit magazine featured "Thanksgiving with a Creole Touch," and, dog eared and gravy stained, it's been my Turkey Day Bible ever since. Of course over the years I've changed the recipes substantially and adjusted the menu and seasonings to suit our specific tastes. However, the two main courses, Creole Roast Turkey and Jambalaya Stuffing, remain essentially the same. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

A few words about the turkey. I'm not a turkey snob when it comes to the actual bird, but rather believe it's all in the preparation. Over the years I've tried them all -- organic, free-range, fresh off the farm, happy birds, Kosher turkey, the old reliable Butterball, and the $5 Thanksgiving gobbler special from Ralph's. Truth be told, we can't tell the difference. However, I swear by my "method." I'm a briner. I think brining insures a moist, juicy, turkey and is more than worth the trouble. I use a large ice chest, fill it with enough cold water to cover the turkey, add about 2 cups of Kosher salt to the water, and plop the thawed bird inside for about 12 hours. (Overnight the night before T'Day will work well.) Every few hours you might want to add a tray of ice cubes to the mix, just so it stays cold, but other than that just leave it alone until cooking time, dry it, inside and out, and prepare as below. (For more specifics on brining, here's a link.)

Jambalaya is a Creole dish with French and Spanish influences (think Paella, southern style). This recipe will work well inside the turkey and out, and it makes a lovely stand alone dish for any occasion, be it festive or just family fare. My recipe uses sausage and shrimp, but crab, chicken, even leftover ham or turkey can be used with equal success.

About the sausage. It's worth it to seek out real Audouille sausage. We have a great source here in Los Angeles, The Sausage Kitchen over on Pico, but if you can't find it at a local butchery or meat market, Savorie's makes a totally acceptable Andoullie that is available online by mail order.

Finally, a word about the spices. You will need to experiment and adjust them to your taste, depending to a great extent on how spicy your sausage is. (Andouille can vary greatly in hotness according to who makes it.) The pepper measurements I have specified are less than was called for in the original recipe, and we like spicy foods, so that should tell you something! My best suggestion is taste as you go along. (Such a chore, but somebody has to do it!)

JAMBALAYA STUFFING
(Serves 8)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon file powder
5 cups chicken stock (canned low-sodium is perfectly fine)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 cup sliced green onion
1 pound shelled shrimp, deveined, tails removed (Or 1 pound crab meat)

Heat oil in heavy 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add Andouille and stir until crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl using slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add bell peppers, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, white pepper, file, and cayenne pepper to saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Mix in chicken stock, tomatoes and salt. Bring to boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer rice to bowl. Mix in andouille sausage and green onions. Cool. (NOTE: Can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)

Lightly saute shrimp in a couple of tablespoons olive oil, (with a little chopped garlic, if you like). Drain and add to rice mixture.

Reserve 6 to 7 cups of jambalaya for stuffing the turkey. Spoon the remaining jambalaya into a buttered baking dish. When ready to cook, cover tightly and bake in 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.


CREOLE ROAST TURKEY
(Serves 8)

1 16-pound turkey
Creole Butter (recipe follows)
6 to 7 cups Jambalaya Stuffing (recipe above)

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

Pat turkey dry. Slide fingers between turkey breast skin and meat to loosen skin. Rub Creole Butter under skin over breast meat.

Spoon jambalaya stuffing into cavity, packing firmly. Truss turkey. Roast, breast side up on rack in roasting pan, basting about every 20 minutes with pan juices, about 3 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 170 degrees. (Note: You will probably find the breast meat begins to brown before the rest of the turkey. In this case, once the breast is nicely browned, tent the breast with tinfoil for the remainder of cooking time to retain juices and prevent over-browning.)

Transfer turkey to heated platter, tent with foil, and let stand 30 minutes before serving. Save pan juices for gravy, if desired.


CREOLE BUTTER
(Makes about 2/3 cup)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 medium garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco preferred)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. (Note: Can be made 4 days in advance and refrigerated or frozen for up to one month. Bring to room temperature before using.)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ya'll!