Rice grits are perfect anywhere you would use corn grits - we use them with breakfast and in shrimp and grits. For this recipe, you'll need 6 cups of liquid. We use 1 cup heavy cream and 5 cups of water, but you could change those quantities if desired. Occasionally, we'll use Chicken Broth for more of a savory flavor. More liquid can be added during cooking if rice grits are too firm or simmer with the lid removed if there is too much liquid. 

It is hotly debated whether traditional Hoppin’ John should be a one-pot meal, or if the rice and peas should be cooked separately, then served together. We opted for the one-pot version here, mostly so our Charleston Gold Rice had the chance to soak up all that flavorful pea-cooking liquid. This requires a small extra step of removing some of the cooking liquid before adding the rice, to make sure the final result is fluffy and not splayed or over-cooked.

 

This recipe is an updated version of a family heirloom recipe found in the famous Charleston Receipts cookbook. We preserved the star ingredients–sausage, oysters, water chestnuts, and of course, Charleston Gold Rice–and we punched up the flavor with crispy garlic chips, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh cilantro.