Rustic Corn Grits With Mushroom Sugo And Poached Egg
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Los Angeles fine-dining haven Gjelina should be high up on your must-visit list. Boy, that L.A. list is getting long. Helmed by chef Travis Lett and chock-full of the best of California's local produce and protein bounty, Gjelina — the "G" is silent — is one of the city's hottest tables. Pick up a copy of Lett's new book and see what Angelenos are raving about. These grits aren't made with any ordinary cornmeal. Source the best of the best and watch this simple, humble dish sing.
Look for coarse-ground, new-crop grits, either white or yellow. What matters most is your ability to find field-ripened, coarsely ground grits, which are vastly superior to commodity cornmeal. The robust corn flavor of these grits is so intense that it really needs little embellishment. Substitute any cultivated variety of mushroom you like for the wild mushrooms here. But if you do happen upon some good-looking wild fungi, by all means take advantage and use them.
- 1 cup old-fashioned or coarse-ground corn grits
- 2 1/2 cups water
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, cremini and hen of the woods
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 eggs
- flaky sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Best-quality olive oil for drizzling
- :::grits:::
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, soak the grits in the water overnight. Do not drain.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat, bring the grits to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the grits are suspended evenly in the water, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and continue cooking, stirring the grits every 10 minutes to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until tender and creamy but still a bit al dente, about 50 minutes. Season with kosher salt after the first 25 minutes. (If the grits become too thick, thin with a bit of hot water.) Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- :::mushroom sugo:::
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in about 2½ tablespoons of the olive oil, gently swirling the pan so that the oil is evenly distributed. Add about half of the mushrooms, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook the mushrooms, without stirring, until well seared on the bottom. With a spatula, flip the mushrooms and continue cooking until well seared on the other side. Once the mushrooms are well caramelized, season with kosher salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and another 2½ tablespoons olive oil, and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the shallots and garlic, adding a bit more olive oil if needed, until translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it begins to brown around the edges. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Add the wine and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and return the mushrooms to the pan. Simmer very gently until the sauce has reduced slightly and the mushroom flavor is pervasive, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add the parsley.
- Bring a large sauté pan filled with salted water to a simmer over medium heat.
- Just before serving, crack the eggs into ramekins or small cups. Slip the eggs into the simmering water and cook until the whites are just set but the yolks are very runny, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Spoon a quarter of the grits into each of four shallow bowls. Divide the mushroom sugo evenly among the bowls, and top each serving with a poached egg. Season with sea salt and pepper and drizzle a little best-quality olive oil on top. Serve immediately.