fish and grits

I’m hard pressed to find a protein that doesn’t pair well with grits. Call it my upbringing or call it plain crazy, but to me, grits are a great medium for eating with just about any meat. One of my favorite “special occasion” dishes is a pan-seared fish on top of grits, and given Ge Ge’s penchant for all things fresh seafood, I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d found another match in heaven.

Fish and grits aren’t uncommon in the Lowcountry — in fact, grits often make a nice sideshow to any good fish fry. However, I like to make mine a little bit lighter, given how rich grits can be. Ge Ge even gets involved. He loves seasoning and preparing the fish for searing. I mean, between smearing finger paints and learning how to evenly season a cod filet, I’d choose the latter any day myself.

I’m pretty sure he would too, actually.

fish & grits, with love

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

A lighter take on a beloved Southern dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cod fillets (or other mild, hearty whitefish, like halibut)
• 1 teaspoon flour
• ¼ cup unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ onion, diced
• 1.5 cups stone-ground grits
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups + ¼ cup heavy cream, divided
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, diced (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and pat the fillets dry with a paper towel and set aside.
2. In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the grits to separate the husks from the grits. In a large pot, bring the grits, water, heavy cream and ¼ cup butter to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue stirring frequently.
3. While grits are simmering, heat a heavy saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil.
4. Add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly browned and translucent. Add garlic and continue sauteeing for 1 minute.
5. Add tomatoes, followed by white wine. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
6. In a separate saute pan, heat pan over medium-high heat.
7. While pan is heating, season fish with flour, salt and pepper.
8. When pan is hot, add remaining butter and olive oil.
9. Place fish in pan and immediately jostle a little to keep the fish from sticking to the pan. Sear each side of the fish approximately 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness).
10. Stir in ¼ cup heavy cream into tomato sauce.
11. Serve grits in individual bowls topped with fish fillets and sauce. Top with cilantro and avocado.

3.2.1311