I’ve been sitting on this one for a while.

Have you ever come across a dish that was speak worthy?

What do I mean?

It is so go that you simply must speak about it. Many of you have had a good bowl of grits. If you were lucky, those grits had cheese. Unfortunately, many people have not had the pleasure of dining on a fried grit cake.

When warm, crispy, salty, cheesy, and gooey all meet at the corner of unbelievable and goodness, the only option is to top it with a fresh tomato slice and a runny poached egg. Wow. 

The concept: whip up a batch of your favorite cheese grits and then fry them. Does it get any better than that?

Oh yes, it does.

Top it with a runny egg yolk. Because runny eggs make everything better, right?

You betcha.

I didn’t think you understood that part about how crispy yet creamy these grit cakes are. You didn’t think it was possible did you?

Now do you believe me?

Kitchen Notes:

• To make this recipe, you could easily use your favorite cheese grits and fry them as you would any other Southern dish (flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt). This particular recipe came from Thomas Keller’s (of The French Laundry) Ad Hoc at Home. In an effort to not break any publishing rules, I simply forward you to the book. BUT, if you must have something on hand now – you can view a version of the recipe at Eatin’ on the Cheap.
• The grits will have to be transferred to a container and chilled for at least four hours. Don’t skip this step – This allows them to firm up enough to withstand the heat while frying, but they do start to melt and soften again to a perfect consistency while the outside gets crispy. Please plan ahead.
• Wondering how to poach an egg? What’s Cooking America gives one of the best tutorials, and it gets it done right.