Name: Baked Grits with Country Ham and Oyster Mushrooms
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups water; 1 large egg, beaten; ½ cup dry white wine; ¼ cup freshly grated genuine Parmesan cheese; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 sprig fresh thyme; 1 dried red chile pepper; 2 scallions (white parts only), finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, minced; ½ pound fresh oyster mushrooms, cut into slices; Sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 thin slices country ham, cut into strips; 1 tablespoon heavy cream; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1½ teaspoons salt; ½ cup finely diced country ham; 1 cup stone-ground grits; 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; ½ pound (2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces; ¼ cup white wine vinegar

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Glory of Southern Cooking

By James Villas

Published 2007

About

It’s debatable whether Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama, is the most innovative chef in the South, but surely none of his creative dishes illustrates better the intelligent juxtaposition of Southern ingredients and French technique than these glorious grits ramekins topped with a mixture of pungent wild mushrooms and country ham and served with a spicy butter sauce. Yes, the dish takes a little time and effort to prepare, but it not only shows the sophisticate