John Besh, a James Beard Foundation Award Winner, is a Louisiana rock star in his many restaurant kitchens that he has become so well known for, especially the main one in his home, where due to his long days away from his family for lunch and dinner, he wakes up extra early to prepare breakfast for his boys.
His dream breakfast is time spent around the family table with a big pot of cheese grits at the heart of the meal. From then, hot biscuits are pulled from the oven and farm eggs are cooked to order. Local produce, like seasonal Creole tomatoes and fresh fruit is also brought in. Besh says,” Then all you need is some bacon and some love. That’s it!”
Follow 30AEats on Twitter at @Eater30A. Hashtag #JBFTasteAmerica and #bittybites to follow Taste Of America. You can also meet John Besh in person this Saturday, September 19, 2015 at Taste Of The Beach, Pensacola, Florida.
John Besh’s Jalapeño Cheese Grits
Ingredients:
1 cup stone ground corn grits
1 jalapeño (or, one 4ounce can hatch green chilies rinsed and drained)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons mascarpone or cream cheese
1/4 cup grated edam cheese
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400.
In a sauce pot over high heat bring 4 cups of water to a boil while slowly whisking in the stone ground grits. Reduce the heat to medium low and place a cover over the grits to slowly cook for 20 minutes.
While the grits are cooking, roast the jalapeño pepper in the oven for 10 minutes so that the skin blisters and can be easily removed (omit this step if using canned).
Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and under cold running water remove the skin and the seeds from the pepper. Place the pepper on a cutting board and mince and add it to the pot of grits.
Remove the grits from the flame and fold in the butter, mascarpone and edam cheeses.
Season with salt to taste and serve.
Note: For brunch or dinner try these grits topped with fresh grilled Gulf shrimp or your seasonal catch of the day deep fried. Don’t like jalapeño? Omit the pepper! Or, for another great recipe, check out my Grillades & Grits here.
