Fried Grits

Fried grits are a southern staple that were born for the need to not waste good food. Leftover grits are a bit challenging to eat again because they soon become a congealed block that is hard to reheat without getting lumps. No frill, everyday grits are cooked in water and a little salt are transformed into crispy bites with a creamy interior.

While my mom cooked us a hot breakfast 6 days a week (mom, can I move back?), she never made fried grits and honestly I wasn’t familiar with them until I was in college. I would hear people talk about them but never had them. Since I didn’t have a solid reference to replicate, I made my way into a wormhole of fried grits.

Some fried grits are super simple that you heat a little oil in a pan and scoop grits with your hand and plunk it down into the pan. They come out sort of cylinder shape with finger marks on them. Taste is good, but without alot of practice, it’s hard to get a decent crust on them and not have alot of breakage from them getting stuck on the pan.

The other style of fried grits is where you cut squares of grits and dip them into an egg wash then fry it or any of the usual batter techniques. I landed on an egg wash and cornmeal method. I love the crunch of fried cornmeal and I think it’s more forgiving to cook than flour.

Fried Grits Ingredients
1 egg
½ c cornmeal
Avocado oil
Cold Grits

Fried Grits Directions
Crack an egg and place it in a small saucer or bowl. Take a fork and pierce the yolk to break it. Then lay the fork with the tongs flat and whisk it back and forth to incorporate the white and yellow. Make sure the two become one.

Put a ½ c of cornmeal on a saucer. Add a thin layer of oil to a frying pan until it shimmers. 

Cut the grits into squares or rectangles. 2” x 2” is the approximate size I use but you can go larger or smaller. If your grits are extremely well-hydrated (not to be confused with runny), don’t make them too big or they’ll ooze.

Work with one grits square at a time and coat it in the egg then dip it into the cornmeal. Put it in the frying fan. You should hear a fairly aggressive sizzle that continues to sizzle. Add more squares to the pan while leaving about 1-2” between the pieces. The space allows for better cooking and room to flip the grits.

When the bottom of the grits are golden brown, flip the grits over with a spatula. If they stick, which they might depending on your pan or temperature, gently move a spatula back and forth under the grits to work it free. When the second side is golden brown, remove it from the pan and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Eat it while hot.

These are no frills so eat it with an egg, sausage, or bacon and some fruit. Stay tuned for how to jazz it up.

Notes
If you cook your grits in water, stir in butter before you refrigerate them. If you cook them in milk, there’s no need to add butter.