Parmigiano Reggiano Grits Soufflé is a fabulous recipe that is courtesy of Virginia Willis. Check out Virginia’s website, Virginia Willis Culinary Productions.
Virginia says, “Southerners have a tendency to call anything baked with beaten egg whites a souffle. Properly beaten egg whites are the key to the rise of this Parmigiano Reggiano Grits Souffle dish. While the dish is in the oven, the air trapped inside the egg whites expands, causing the dish to rise.”
Learn about the History of Grits.
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup coarse grits, stone ground
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano), freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper
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Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a large oval casserole or souffle dish, set aside.
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Using a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring water, milk, and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Gradually stir in the grits; reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
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Using a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, temper by whisking in a spoonful of hot grits. Stir yolks into remaining grits. Add the cheese, garlic, and butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
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In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, approximately 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.
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Add about a quarter of the beaten egg whites to the grits mixture and stir until well mixed. Pour this mixture and the scallions over the remaining whites and fold them together as lightly as possible. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
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Bake until the grits are set, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. (If the surface begins to over brown, cover with foil.) Serve immediately.
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Serves 8.
Source: The recipe appeared in the Columbia County Magazine, April 2007.