Rice Grits with Poached Eggs & Bacon

Name: Rice Grits with Poached Eggs & Bacon
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 cups water; 1 1/2 cups Charleston Gold Rice Grits; 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more to taste; 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco, more to taste; Freshly ground pepper, to taste; 6 cups water; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; 4 large eggs; 1/2 cup cooked diced bacon; 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives

By Patricia Levine

Photo of pot of grits and bowlful of grits with eggs and bacon

Rice Grits with Poached Eggs & Bacon

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Servings

Is it rice, or is it grits? When cooked this particular way, the small broken grains of our rice grits rice take on the texture and appearance of traditional stone-ground corn grits. We boil the rice like pasta to release all those good starches, then reserve some of that cooking liquid to achieve a very creamy, grit-like consistency. Use just like you would corn grits and enjoy the unique aromatic flavor of Andy’s Rice Grits.

Author:

Don Quattlebaum

Ingredients

Rice Grits

8 cups water
1 1/2 cups Charleston Gold Rice Grits
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco, more to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

To serve

6 cups water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cooked diced bacon
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives

Directions

Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large heavy-duty pot. Stir in rice grits and season with 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh sieve, reserving about 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
Return rice grits with 1 ½ cups reserved cooking liquid to the same pot. Stir over medium heat until creamy and tender, 2-3 minutes. Add cheese and butter and stir until melted. (Add more reserved cooking liquid to achieve your desired consistency). Season with Tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring 6 cups water to a gentle simmer. Add vinegar and reduce heat to just below a simmer; the water should not bubble. Using the handle of a spoon, swirl the water to create a vortex. Crack one egg into the center of the vortex; the whites should swirl and begin to coagulate. Poach until whites are set and yolk is thickened but still runny, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining eggs (try two to three at a time if your pot is large enough).
Transfer warm rice grits to serving bowls and top each with a poached egg, bacon, and chives. Serve immediately.