Southern Style Birds In A Nest With Butter Grits Greens With Bacon Over Easy Quail Eggs And Green Tomato And Green Apple Chutney Recipes

EGGS IN A NEST

Steps:

• Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the bread. Melt the butter in a griddle or frying pan. Place the bread in the pan and break an egg into the hole. Lay the cutout shape in the pan wherever it will fit and toast until golden brown. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper.
• When the egg is cooked on the bottom and before the bread becomes too brown, flip the egg nest to toast the other side and finish cooking the egg, about 1 minute. Serve with toasted shape.

SOUTHERN-STYLE BIRDS IN A NEST WITH BUTTER GRITS, GREENS WITH BACON, OVER-EASY QUAIL EGGS AND GREEN TOMATO AND GREEN APPLE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the chutney: Combine the green tomatoes, brown sugar, cider vinegar, curry powder, mustard seeds, fennel pollen, allspice, ginger, apple and red onion in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Taste and thin with chicken stock as desired. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
• For the greens and bacon: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp; remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the chard and beet greens and let wilt for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with vinegar, then add the sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. Add some of the bacon back to the pan, and combine. Use the remaining bacon as garnish.
• For the butter grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a boil. Add the grits and bring to a simmer. Stir, then partially cover, and cook, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Add in 1/2 cup milk, whisk and partially cover. Cook, whisking occasionally, for another 15 minutes.
• Add in the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cook partially covered, whisking occasionally, another 15 minutes.
• Add the remaining tablespoon butter and season to taste with salt. Use additional stock to adjust the consistency as needed. Serve the grits with the quail eggs.

GRITS AND GREENS CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the half-and-half and 6 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once up to a boil, stir in the grits. Bring it back up to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture has slightly thickened (it should resemble cooked oatmeal in thickness), 10 to 15 minutes. Use a whisk to break up any lumps that have formed.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until just turning crispy, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel, patting it to remove any excess fat. Using the same saucepan, add the onions to the leftover bacon drippings and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Then add the collard greens and the remaining 2 cups chicken stock and cook until tender, another 10 minutes. Drain the collards and onions in a colander.
• Once the grits are done, add the Parmesan, butter, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the Monterey jack. Stir until the butter has melted and all the ingredients are well combined. Then add the drained collards mixture and stir.
• Transfer the grits mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the crumbled bacon and the remaining 1/2 cup Monterey jack. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

SMOKED LEGS OF SUCKLING PIG WITH GARLIC-BACON GRITS AND CASSIA APPLE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Brine the legs in the sugar, salt and water mixture overnight. Set up a steamer with a large bamboo basket and cover. In a bowl, mix together molasses, soy, vinegar, ginger and five spice powder. Brush the glaze on the legs and place in the steamer. Steam for 2 to 3 hours on low steam, occasionally brushing more glaze on and checking the water level. When a paring knife can easily penetrate the pork, it's ready. Pull steamer basket with the pork off, glaze again and set aside. Dump water out of wok, wipe dry and line with foil. Add the rice, tea and sugar and mix well. Turn wok on medium heat and watch for smoke. When it starts to smoke, turn heat to low and replace basket on wok. Seal with wet kitchen towels placed between the wok and basket. Smoke on low heat for 10 minutes. Turn wok on high for 30 seconds, then turn it off completely. It will continue to smoke. Let stand 30 minutes. For service, if pork is cold, re-steam for 8 minutes then deep fry at 350 degrees until brown, about 5 minutes. If pork is still room temperature, then just deep fry.
• In a skillet on medium heat, add bacon and cook until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and when cool, chop into 1/8-inch pieces. Pour off bacon fat and reserve. In the same skillet, add garlic, onions and jalapeno, brown and season, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add stock and boil. Slowly sprinkle in grits and whisk to incorporate well. Cover and let simmer, on very low heat for 12 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and season. Check for seasoning and add back the bacon and scallions. Reserve hot.
• In a saucepan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and saute ginger and onions until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add cassia and apples, cook 2 minutes and season. Add juice and simmer until a 50 percent reduction. Whisk in remaining butter and check for seasoning.
• PLATING: Serve family style. On a large platter, place grits in center and surround with apples. Place pig on top (some can be pre-sliced) and garnish with chives. Serve with side of sambal.

SOUTHERN GRITS AND EGGS

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper; cover to keep warm.
• Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the okra, scallion whites, bell pepper, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste; cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Carefully slide the eggs on top of the okra mixture, keeping the yolks intact. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook, rotating the skillet occasionally, until the eggs are just set, about 6 minutes.
• Serve the grits with the vegetables and eggs. Top with the scallion greens.