2007:
Savory Rice Grits Baked Soup
By
Amaryll Schwertner, executive chef and an owner of Boulettes
Larder in San Francisco
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Coarse sea salt
4 cups Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Grits,
or other grits
4 to 6 cups chicken broth
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
3 onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 leeks, white and light green parts only,
cut into 1/2-inch dice
Extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed,
cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 whole bird's-eye or Tuscan chili, ground
coarsely
8 ounces fontina cheese, thinly sliced
16 dried tomato halves, rehydrated in warm
water and coarsely chopped
2 2/3 cups cubed crustless country bread
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
1 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
White truffle, for garnish, optional.
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1. In a medium stockpot or other large pot,
combine 4 1/2 quarts of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons
salt. Bring to a boil and add the grits while
stirring and sprinkling them into the water.
Cook at a gentle boil for 15 minutes. Meanwhile,
in a large saucepan, heat the chicken broth
and keep warm.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a sauté pan,
melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and add the
onions and leeks. Sauté until translucent
and transfer to a bowl. Wipe the pan clean
and add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon
olive oil. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of
salt and sauté until tender and caramelized;
set aside. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon
sea salt, black pepper and chili; set aside. |
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3. In a deep, heatproof, 7- to 8-quart
casserole, spread a third of the grits. Top with
half each of the onion mixture, sliced cheese, tomato,
mushrooms and salt mixture. Spread a layer of half
of the remaining grits and all of the remaining onions,
sliced cheese, tomato, mushrooms and salt mixture.
Top with the remaining grits. Pour in enough of the
hot stock to just cover the grits. Place a sheet
of parchment paper directly on top of the grits,
and cover the casserole with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.
4. Using a food processor, purée the bread
with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter until finely
ground. Add the parsley and pulse to combine; set
aside.
5. Preheat a broiler or raise oven to 500 degrees. Remove the foil and parchment
from the casserole. If the dish is dry, add enough broth so that the grits are
very moist but not flooded. (The texture should be spoonable with a seeping stock
and melted cheese.) Top with the bread crumbs and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Broil or bake until browned, about 5 minutes. To serve, spoon into bowls and
drizzle with olive oil. If desired, garnish with sliced truffles.
Serves 10. |
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