Sweet Potato Grits

Edna Lewis once said, “People should really leave grits alone.” And we won’t argue with the queen, but in this recipe from Kia Damon (featured in Bryant Terry’s book Black Food ), roasted sweet potato adds an earthy element and a creamy, custardy texture to grits. Damon suggests eating them with fried catfish, shrimp smothered in bacon gravy, mushrooms simmered in red curry, or “as our ancestors intended, with just a simple pat of butter.”

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What you’ll need

• 

  Immersion Blender

• 

  Large Saucepan

• 

  Mesh Sieve

• 

  Glass Measuring Cup

Ingredients

4 - 6 Servings

1

large sweet potato (about 1 lb.)

3

cups unsalted chicken broth

1½

cups whole milk

1

cup stone-ground white or yellow grits

4

Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for serving

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°. Wrap sweet potato tightly in foil and bake on a small rimmed baking sheet until a knife slides very easily into flesh, 35–45 minutes. Let cool.

Step 2

Bring broth and milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Step 3

Meanwhile, place grits in a medium bowl. Pour in cool water to cover and gently swish grits around with your hands until chaff separates and rises to surface. Using a spider or small fine-mesh sieve, skim chaff from surface and discard. Drain grits in a fine-mesh sieve. Repeat process 2 more times.

Step 4

Whisk grits into broth mixture, making sure there are no clumps. (It’ll look like you have too much liquid, but the grits will expand into creamy goodness as they cook.) Cook, still over medium heat, whisking often, until thick and creamy but with a little bite, 25–30 minutes.

Step 5

Unwrap sweet potato and peel. Transfer flesh to a medium bowl and mash until creamy and smooth (you should have about 2 cups). Add to grits and blend with an immersion blender until incorporated. (An immersion blender yields the creamiest grits, but you can use a standard blender; carefully blend sweet potato and grits, then transfer back to pan.) Stir 4 Tbsp. butter into grits; season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Transfer grits to a large shallow bowl; top with a pat of butter and season with more pepper.

Adapted with permission from Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes From Across the African Diaspora by Bryant Terry (4 Color Books). Copyright © 2021.

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Source : food