Over the years, my love of stone-ground yellow grits has turned me into a certified grits snob. And, like most Southerners with a grits chip on my shoulder, I tend to blame flavorless “quick grits”—the finely milled, prepackaged variety that has been pre-steamed to be partially cooked—for unfairly maligning this Southern delicacy’s reputation. So imagine my surprise when I discovered, thanks to an ingenious Craig Claiborne recipe, that this puffy, soufflé-like casserole is actually much better made with quick grits. There’s just no denying texture that light and airy. You can, of course, use stone-ground grits; the casserole will be a littler grainier but equally flavorful.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　2 cups milk

　　2 cups water

　　1 cup quick grits

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese

　　1 teaspoon hot sauce

　　3 or 4 grates of fresh nutmeg

　　6 large eggs, separated

　　1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Generously butter a 2-quart soufflé dish and place in the freezer.

　　

Step 2

Bring the milk and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk the grits into the milk mixture in a slow, steady stream and bring the mixture back up to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until the grits are just tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 3

Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese, hot sauce, and nutmeg. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

　　

Step 4

Whisk the egg yolks into the grits until fully combined. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold in one-third of the egg whites to lighten the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

　　

Step 5

Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish, spread evenly, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed and firm around the edges and still slightly soft in the center. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.