I have talked to a lot of people over the years who insist that they don’t like grits. It usually means all they have ever had are white grits (which are pretty grim) or they simply have never had well prepared yellow grits.
As with so many ingredients, all grits are not created equally. Sorry if you disagree, but instant grits (and almost everything else instant) are an abomination. I am not a fan of any store bought grits but I buy what I consider to be the best grits in the South from Original Grit Girl Grits. It is a small company in Oxford, Mississippi that buys their corn from a co-op in Houston, MS, ships them to Oxford one day, mills them the next and then packages and ships them out the next. You can order them direct from the company, or you can buy them from Desporte’s Seafood in Biloxi.
I also like to present my grits in a different way. Most people just plop a big spoonful on the plate, but just as soon as my grits are done, I put them in cupcake molds (or any other mold you like), pop them out when cool and that makes for a much better presentation. You can also sear the grit cakes in butter to add a little color and texture.
Grit Girl has a recipe on the package that is excellent (cream and cheese), but grits are so versatile you can add almost anything. I always add cheese of some type, cheddar, mozzarella, parm, but my favorite is Gruyere, which is made in Switzerland and France, and is known as the best melting cheese in the world.
I like to make grits, pour them into molds and add a sautéed, spicy shrimp to each. If I want to fancy the dish up a bit I make a sauce of sautéed onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos and garlic. Pop them out of the mold, and top with the sauce. It’s my take on shrimp and grits, that great dish from the Carolina’s.
Grits also pair very well with diced, sautéed ham, or crumbled bacon (remember to use Benton’s Bacon if you can afford it. But perhaps my all time favorite is a grit cake, topped with a farm fresh poached egg or two (check out the Ocean Springs Fresh market on Saturday morning, but go early, the eggs sell out fat!). There is something about the simple combination that is so good