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Chicken Lemon Grits: a Fast Recipe for a Cold and Rainy Day
Chicken Lemon Grits
Ingredients
1/2 stick (4 T) butter
2 cups of chicken stock (or equivalent with bouillon)
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of grits (hominy or yellow corn or other)
Salt (maybe)
Procedure
In a large enough sauce pan, melt the butter, add the chicken stock and lemon juice and bring it to boil. Slowly stir in grits. Depending on whether the butter or stock is salted, it may need a little salt. Simmer for about five minutes or until desired thickness stirring often. Let it cool a bit unless you like molten materials in your mouth. Enjoy.
For those who cannot eat rice safely, it can be a good substitute for chicken lemon rice soup.
Variations
The sky is the limit. You can add chicken pieces to it. You can add capers. You can add anything else you think will go with the flavors. Experiment a little.
Published in Art
For some reason, I was thinking of lemon curd as I emptied the pan for my third (small) bowl of this. That got me thinking, what would happen with a little sweetener? Lots of people sweeten cereals, after all, and by the time I got to that third bowl, the grits were cold. I sprinkled a little sweetener over the top and cut it in and mashed it together.
It may count as an abomination for most folks. Good though. Really brought out the lemon.
Yum. I’ve had grits made by Southern Grandma’s and it’s always been delicious. But I’ve never successfully made grits myself. The output of my few efforts was akin to mortar or concrete. It’s clearly operator error in what should be a simple, straightforward process. But, once more into the breech.
Make sure you have a good liquid to grits ratio (about 4 to 1), and stir them in slowly and stir often. Otherwise, they can wind up hard and dense in one spot.
That does sound good. Reminiscent of, but quicker than, Greek Avgolemono soup, which is also lemon/chicken stock based, but has (usually) some form of pasta or rice as the starch, and is thickened with egg yolk. One of my favorites.
Brilliant. i will try that.
I make myself a large bowl of grits most weekends. Andouille sausage, Cajun spices, Adobe, garlic, and absurd quantities of butter is a staple. Sometimes with curry and some north African spice mixes. And a sweet variation with tamarind, five spice and fruit slices.
Done all of those sorts of things. Out of Andouille at the moment. Grits are a wonderful base to take off from.
One secret is to add salt to the boiling water before you add the grits. Another is to stir continuously while you slowly pour in the grits. Another is to stir in butter or cheese to make it tastier or creamier. Also, water/ grits proportions can never be messed up. If too thick, add a little water. Of too thin, add a little more grits but be sure to cook the minimum time needed for the grits you just added. Stir frequently. Want it real creamy? Cook it in the top of the double boiler on the eye of the stove. Once done, cover and place on top of the bottom of the double boiler and cook longer. Stir occasionally. My mom would cook it up to four hours when I was sick so it would be easy to digest. Nothing says you have to be done cooking “quick grits” the five minutes required. Cook longer for softer. Add water as required to keep it from getting too thick. Mix grits and eggs together on your plate. Even better, add bacon.
This is an excellent alternative for shrimp and grits. Not everyone likes shrimp or can eat seafood.
Yeah, tell me about it. I love shrimp, but shrimp do not love me.
I dont think I’ve ever seen grits at a grocery store… Like ever.. Can frozen corn be used instead?
NO!
Try polenta. Same t’ing, only different.
We have so much here you could buy bags of it and use for sandbags. Also, it is a great prepper food – long shelf life.
I just checked on the Canadian Amazon site, and they have twenty-four different products listed if you search for “grits.” (You get far more, but they have to do with sandpaper and rock tumbling, not good foods.)
Imagining all the “snowbirds” returning to Canada now that winter is over with a car full of grits.
We do Polenta with Meatballs and Rao’s for a quick meal during the week.
As a native Louisianian, I love grits everyway it comes – except water-y at the Cracker Barrel. Cue the scene from Forest Gump where, instead of Bubba talking about shrimp – it’s me talking about grits:
Shrimp-n-grits, Grits and grillades, fried grits, garlic-cheese grits, baked sausage and grits, sweet grits….
That’s just narsty. Stick a spoon in it. If it don’t stand on its own, send ’em back.
Sounds like the basis for a comedy movie.
Usually near oatmeal and similar (farina, cream of wheat, etc.). I’m a Yankee through and through, but I’ve sure developed a taste for grits, especially with cheese melted in and/or on top (garnished with green onions or chives). This lemon version sounds quite tasty as a side dish for pan fried, thinly sliced or pounded chicken breasts. Or a white fish like flounder or sole.
Thanks, Arahant!