I have a catering gig this weekend that wants jalapeño cheese grits but I won't have a ton of time to prep/cook at the event.
Is there anyway I can cook them before the event and warm them up with a little butter and they'll still be decent?
Not vary familiar with grits...
Posted Jun 9, 2015, 1:44 AM UTC
[deleted]
Water bath chafing dish. It's amazing how many people think direct flames won't burn their food.
My personal opinion is that cheese grits are better after resting and reaheating.
Make them very thin when you first make them, because they will continue to thicken as they sit. I like to do about 1 part grits to 6 parts liquid or so. I also use a combination of water, milk, and stock for flavor. Chafing dishes work well, as someone else said, but they can be difficult if it's going to sit during service for a while because they are flat and wide, so they have a larger surface area on which to get a crusty skin. I use a crock pot and it seems to work well. You might need to add water and a little butter when you re-heat, but it will work fine.
Word of advice: If you are making Jalapeño grits, I would think about roasting them over an open flame first, then putting them in a ziplock to steam for a few minutes, and then removing the charred skin. Also, de-seed them. I've had problems with my grits getting too spicy from the jalapeños so I have been going 3:1 poblano-jalapeño. If you've got some extra in the budget, also thing about adding goat cheese, cream cheese, or marscapone cheese to the recipe.
My whole life I've either been making omelettes are scrambled eggs. Recently I've discovered the wonder of fried eggs on a bed of cheese grits. I haven't tried it with milk or stock though. Since I usually have stock in the fridge I should give it try.
I'd hold back 1/4 of the liquid the recipe calls for, then when you reheat for service, make that last 1/4 heavy cream and stir it in and it will be nice and creamy like you'd expect from grits.
Also, make sure you use lots of butter when you initally prepare them. Coating the starch in fat will prevent it from clumping and make it easier to reheat and stir in the cream. Also, butter is delicious. Bacon fat is even more delicious if ya get my drift.
Make them up with about 3/4 of your chosen liquid, then set them aside to cool to about room temp (spread them out so they get there in good time), then beat in the rest of the liquid. You can do this a few days in advance. Put into a hotel pan type dimensioned pan. 1 hour at 350F will get a full size pan to perfect serving heat and consistency, IME from scout trips.
If you have any free play in the menu, make the grits fully, chill, then slice into cakes and fry on the spot - exquisite. Polenta should be so lucky as to live in the American South.
Grits both hold and reheat well. As long as you're not holding them in the danger zone you'll be fine. Bring them back with a little milk if they get dry.
Edit: also 2 parts water, 2 parts milk, 1 part grits. Season early. Cook them for a long time. If you use instant grits it will not be well with thee.
I agree with this, however I use 1/2 chicken stock and half milk for a more savory flavor.
So 2 parts water, 1 part chicken stock, 1 part milk, and 1 park grits?
You'll actually want your ratio to be about 5-1 liquid to dry grits. It'll keep them a little more loose, make them easier to hold in a chaffing dish.
wait, so grits will re liquify if you reheat them?
I dunno about 're liquify' but they'll certainly get back to a good consistency.
sorry, usually when I make grits, they set up solid when they hit room temperature like polenta does. I was unaware you could reliquify the gel matrix.
Go forth and make grits with joy. And when you make 'em, feel free to make a lot of 'em because of how well they reheat. Or how well they fry up!
You'll need to add a little more liquid to get them to release back to the way they were, especially if it is a cheesy grit recipe like OP is talking about. Gotta whisk it again also.
No Self Respecting Southerner Uses Instant Grits! I take PRIDE in my Grits.
Instant grits are shit. Get the real deal. Well worth the extra time and effort.
The previous comment is spot on. Wanted to add that you must reheat slowly. They can get lumpy or char the bottom of the pot and burn quickly. If they burn in the bottom they are ruined and ya gotta toss em.
Good luck on your event BTW!