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.

Our rice grits are exceptional when cooked risotto-style. Traditional Italian risotto is made with arborio rice, a short-grain high-starch variety from the Piedmont region of Italy.  Our rice grits are similar in shape and texture and, when cooked slowly and stirred frequently, release their creamy starches to create a rich, buttery dish. It is a wonderful base for any of your favorite vegetables or proteins; here we fold in the earthiness of mushrooms and the sweet briny flavor of Lowcountry white shrimp. 

Is it rice, or is it grits? When cooked this particular way, the small broken grains of our rice grits 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.