lunaticsinge.com - Southern Cuisine Breakfast

Down-Home Country Grits - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups quick-cooking white grits

5 cups hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

1. Out the grits in a large saucepan, fill halfway with hot water, swish the grits around, let them settle to the bottom, and pour off the water; Repeat two more times. On the third and final rinse, tip the pan slowly and carefully, holding the grits back with your hand, and pour off as much of the water as you can without losing the heavier grits.

2. Add the 5 cups hot water to the rinsed grits and stir with a whisk. Add the salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lift the lid to stir often, and watch that the pan doesn't boil over. As you stir the grits, you'll notice that after 15 to 20 minutes they will suddenly start jumping around and making a popping sound; this means that the water is disappearing. Then it's time to turn the heat down to medium-low and leave the grits to simmer. Keep the lid on and from time to time give them a good stir.

3. After the grits have cooked for an hour, stir in the butter. taste the grits for salt and add more if needed, as well as the pepper, if using. Serve immediately, or cover and keep the grits warm on the stovetop over low heat. Stir them every now and then and check to see if you need to add a little more hot water. They'll keep for hours this way.

*** NOTE: For cheese grits, add a handful or two of shredded cheddar cheese to the hot grits and stir it in well.

Overnight Stone-Ground Grits - (Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

1 cup stone-ground grits

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter, for serving

1. Start the night before: Set the oven to 180 degrees F.

2. In a pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the grits, water, and salt. Cover the pot and slide it into the oven to cook undisturbed overnight.

3. The next morning, taste the grits - they might need more salt. Add pepper, if using, and butter too, before serving them hot.

Stewed Salmon with Grits - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

5 bacon slices

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 (14.75 oz.) can pink Alaskan salmon, picked over to remove skin & bones; save the juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Accent (optional)

Grits or rice for serving

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped, for garnish

1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels; save the bacon fat and wipe the crumbs out f the pan with a paper towel.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat back to the skillet, along with the butter, and heat over medium heat until sizzling. Cook the green pepper and onion, stirring once or twice, until they're limp. Add the salmon and the salmon juice, breaking up the salmon a little, but not too much - there should still be some distinct pieces. Add the seasonings and let the salmon simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Put the hot salmon right in the middle of a pile of grits or rice. Crumble the bacon into generous pieces and sprinkle it over the grits or rice. Garnish the whole dish with the parsley and serve.

Eggs Baked in Tomatoes - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 baseball-sized tomatoes, ripe, but firm

Salt & ground black pepper

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened

1 garlic clove, minced

4 basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped ham or crumbled cooked bacon (optional)

4 large eggs in the shell, at room temperature

4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Slivered fresh basil, for garnish

1. Set the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Cut off the top third of each tomato and slice off a small piece of their bottoms so they can sit up straight, or the eggs may run out. Scoop out the insides with a spoon, leaving just the walls of the tomato shells. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper inside and turn the shells upside down on a rack to drain while you make the garlic butter.

3. Mash the butter with a form in a small bowl and work in the garlic bits evenly.

4. Arrange the drained tomato shells right side up in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them all. Drop a tablespoon of garlic butter into each tomato shell, followed by a torn-up basil leaf. Add the ham or bacon, if using.

5. Crack an egg into each tomato, sprinkle with salt and pepper and scatter 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan evenly over each tomato. Try to leave a little yolk showing so you can tell how the egg is cooking later.

6. Slide the baking dish into the oven and bake until the egg whites are set, but the yolks are still runny, close to 20 minutes. Garnish with slivers of basil if you like, and serve hot.

Huffy-Puffy Oven Pancake - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter

Serving Syrup Ingredients: (optional)

1/4 cup 100% real cane syrup, warmed

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting the top of pancake (optional)

1. In a medium bowl with a pour spout, mix together the flour, milk, eggs, and nutmeg, mixing lightly and leaving the batter a bit lumpy. If you're making the batter the night before, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

2. When you're ready to make the pancake, set the oven to 425 degrees F.

3. Put the butter in a large ovenproof skillet or a large metal two-handles gratin dish about the same size, and slide the pan into the oven to melt the butter.

4. When the butter is hot and sizzling, pour the batter into the skillet or dish and bake until the pancake is all puffed up and golden brown in places, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Meantime, if making the syrup: mix together all the ingredients, pour into a small pitcher, and keep warm. As soon as the pancake comes out of the oven. dust with confectioners' sugar, if using. Cut the pancake in quarters an serve. Pas the syrup, if using.

Country Fried Apples - (Serves 3 to 6)

Ingredients:

3 crisp apples, such as Granny Smith

3 tablespoons butter or bacon grease, or combination of both

1/4 cup light brown sugar

A sprinkle of ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg

A squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice

1. Cut the apples into quarters and cut out the cores, but don't peel them. Slice the quarters the long way so you get 3 or 4 thick slices out of each one.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's bubbling, add the apple slices and turn them with a spatula to coat with the butter. If you cover them with a lid for a couple of minutes, they'll steam and cook a bit faster. Uncovered, they'll cook more slowly, but they will turn a lovely golden brown.

3. Once the apples are soft, about 10 minutes, sprinkle the sugar over them to your taste, and turn them again to be sure they have a little sugar on both sides. Sprinkle the spice on top and stir them up a bit. When the apples are smelling really good and looking almost caramelized, they're done. Give then a good squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice and serve hot.

Scrumptious Bacon - (Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

1 lb. thick-sliced bacon

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Ground black pepper, to taste

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and put a rack on top, so the fat can drain off as the bacon cooks. Separate the bacon into slices.

2. Mix the sugar, cayenne, and black pepper on a plate and spread out the mixture. Press one side of each bacon slice onto the spicy sugar and arrange them sugar side up on the rack on the baking sheet.

3. Bake until the bacon is golden brown, about 35 minutes - but start checking at 25 minutes. Remove the entire rack of bacon to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.

4. When the bacon is cool, break each slice into 2 or 3 pieces. Serve, or store in a tightly sealed tin in a cool spot for up to 2 days.