Last Sunday, the Post and Courier included an article featuring a recipe from the Junior League of Charleston’s very own, “Charleston Receipts”. What an honor! Found here http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/sep/18/history-behind-old-lowcountry-dish-elusive/ , the article featured a recipe for Hobotee, an old Lowcountry dish served during either breakfast and dinner. We can thank former League member Mrs. Richard C. Mullin for Hobotee’s entry in Receipts, found on p. 115.
After seeing this article, I figured it was worth putting my culinary skills to the test.. why not make Hobotee? Then I read the recipe. 3 tablespoons of butter, 3 eggs, a cup and a half of chopped meat, bread, sugar, almonds, an onion – and I’m just getting started! This recipe seemed a little complicated for a table of one.
So I decided on the perfect Southern breakfast alternative, and my personal specialty – biscuits and grits!
Both are breakfast staples of mine, and like the art of making Hobotee, there is an art to cooking perfect grits. With the biscuits I took the easy route, remove from the freezer and bake at 400. The grits on the other hand, they take time to perfect. There is nothing worse than runny, tasteless grits, as any contributor to “Charleston Receipts” would surely agree, and I pride myself on my grit-making abilities.
To start off, I use Quick 5-Minute Grits. Only, there is nothing quick about making them, I would give yourself 30 minutes instead of 5. The instructions say to use 4:1 water:grits measurements. I do this, except that a water account for only 1/4 of the 4, the rest is milk. Ensuring a creamy taste and thick texture. I bring the water to a boil, add the grits, stir quickly, then immediately add the milk. I don’t use exact measurements either, except that I measure out the water and grits to equal the same amount.
Now I reduce the heat to a little above low, and keep an eye on them while stirring every now and then. If they start popping, that means to turn down the heat a little bit and to stir. Once I get the heat adjusted to where they are cooking, but not popping, I cover them and wait. Every now and then I open the lid to check on them, giving them a stir or two. This might take a while, my cooking partner, George, was tired of waiting and decided to take a snooze.
Once you can stir through the grits and they pull slowly with the movement of the spoon, they are ready to go. Their final consistency should look something like this.
The final product is so worth it!!!! Even George perked up once they were ready.
Though its not Hobotee, they sure are delicious. Enjoy!
