A classic Chez Venza breakfast consists of stone-ground yellow grits topped with bacon and Tabasco. Yuuuuuuuuuum. It’s perfect. Don’t mess with a good thing right?
How about we take it to the next level? What if you fried the grits, called it polenta, and then topped it with a poached egg? Intrigued? Let’s begin.
You have to start with stone-ground yellow cornmeal. None of this instant stuff, no way Jose! The process is kind of dull. Water, milk, grits, and a little salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Add cheddar cheese at the end. Not much too it. I have found that using a whisk is better than using a spoon because it makes it less lumpy. No lumpy grits!
If you want to take your grits up a notch (and of course you do!), then you need to fry up some lardons. That’s French for bacon bits (no joke, look it up).
If you REALLY want to take it up a notch, add Tabasco. Spicy, creamy, bacony. It’s brilliant!
Now if you live up north (or if you’re Italian), you would merely change the name of this dish to polenta. It makes it sound more sophisticated, but it’s really the same thing. So what do you do if you make too many grits/polenta? Let’s find out.
First, you take your leftover grits/polenta and put them in a baking dish. Spread the mixture out evenly, and then put it in the fridge or freezer overnight. If you’re going to put it in the freezer, pre-cut it into squares so that it’s easier to get out of the pan later. The point is to make it solid enough that you can cut it into squares without them falling apart.
The next day, cut the polenta into squares and then fry them up in a pan until golden brown.
Nicely done. This is good on it’s own, but you already know we are going to take it one step further.
Time to poach some eggs. Poached eggs are super easy, and probably the healthiest way to cook an egg (because with all that frying, you really need something healthy to go with it).
In a separate pan, boil some water. After it’s boiling, turn off the heat. That’s right…. we’re just going to coast on this bad boy.
Break an egg into a separate bowl and then slowly slip it into the water. Repeat for as many eggs as you need. Put a lid on the pan and set a timer for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, use a slotted spoon to fish out the eggs.
Top the polenta with a poached egg and add a little fresh cracked pepper.
Or, if you’re a Venza, top with Tabasco. Ta-da!
UPDATED 1-29-12
Here's one more variation. If you don't have the foresight (or patience) to make grits one day and then fry them up the next day, just top your bowl of grits with a poached egg. I mean........why not?! The egg yolk gets all mixed up in the creamy grits, along with a crunchy bite of bacon. Delicioso!
How about we take it to the next level? What if you fried the grits, called it polenta, and then topped it with a poached egg? Intrigued? Let’s begin.
You have to start with stone-ground yellow cornmeal. None of this instant stuff, no way Jose! The process is kind of dull. Water, milk, grits, and a little salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Add cheddar cheese at the end. Not much too it. I have found that using a whisk is better than using a spoon because it makes it less lumpy. No lumpy grits!
If you want to take your grits up a notch (and of course you do!), then you need to fry up some lardons. That’s French for bacon bits (no joke, look it up).
If you REALLY want to take it up a notch, add Tabasco. Spicy, creamy, bacony. It’s brilliant!
Now if you live up north (or if you’re Italian), you would merely change the name of this dish to polenta. It makes it sound more sophisticated, but it’s really the same thing. So what do you do if you make too many grits/polenta? Let’s find out.
First, you take your leftover grits/polenta and put them in a baking dish. Spread the mixture out evenly, and then put it in the fridge or freezer overnight. If you’re going to put it in the freezer, pre-cut it into squares so that it’s easier to get out of the pan later. The point is to make it solid enough that you can cut it into squares without them falling apart.
The next day, cut the polenta into squares and then fry them up in a pan until golden brown.
Nicely done. This is good on it’s own, but you already know we are going to take it one step further.
Time to poach some eggs. Poached eggs are super easy, and probably the healthiest way to cook an egg (because with all that frying, you really need something healthy to go with it).
In a separate pan, boil some water. After it’s boiling, turn off the heat. That’s right…. we’re just going to coast on this bad boy.
Break an egg into a separate bowl and then slowly slip it into the water. Repeat for as many eggs as you need. Put a lid on the pan and set a timer for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, use a slotted spoon to fish out the eggs.
Top the polenta with a poached egg and add a little fresh cracked pepper.
Or, if you’re a Venza, top with Tabasco. Ta-da!
UPDATED 1-29-12
Here's one more variation. If you don't have the foresight (or patience) to make grits one day and then fry them up the next day, just top your bowl of grits with a poached egg. I mean........why not?! The egg yolk gets all mixed up in the creamy grits, along with a crunchy bite of bacon. Delicioso!
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