Breakfast / Brunch
Smothered Grits & Eggs
The best thing about this eggs and grits dish, it’s good eating any time of day. Plus, poaching is a practical technique to know for cooking eggs, and not at all that hard to do. But don’t worry about the vinegar in the water — you won’t taste it. It’s there to help the whites set up. The creamy yolk of a poached egg is pure heaven with the smooth, hot grits. And with tomato and ham, this breakfast dish is that much better.
Ingredients
HEAT:
MEANWHILE, HEAT:
SLIDE:
Test Kitchen Tip
A staple in the American South, as well as northern Italy, where they’re called polenta, grits are coarsely ground bits of corn. It’s fine to substitute with yellow cornmeal.
Instructions
Heat water and vinegar in a sauté pan to a simmer for the eggs.
Meanwhile, heat milk, broth, and 1 tsp. salt in a saucepan to a boil over high. Whisk in grits in a steady stream, stirring constantly; reduce heat to medium-low and cook according to package directions.
Stir corn, bell peppers, and jalapeño into grits; cook 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season grits with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to low.
Heat oil in a skillet over mediumhigh. Add tomatoes and ham; sauté until ham begins to brown, 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro.
Slide eggs, one at a time, into the poaching water, then gently swirl the water to prevent sticking. Poach eggs 3–5 minutes, or to desired doneness.
Divide grits among four plates; top each with a poached egg, one-fourth of the tomato mixture, then sprinkle with feta.
To prevent lumps from forming, slowly whisk the cornmeal into the boiling milk-broth mixture.
So the tomatoes don’t break down too much, sear them in oil along with the ham, just until they blister.
To keep the yolks from breaking, ease the eggs into the lightly simmering water.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
:
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 36%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 244mg 81%
Sodium 883mg 36%
Carbs 71g 23%
Fiber 5g 20%
Protein 30g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.