Woodcock and Grits – Venture Upland

When you’re gonna cook dinner a southern-style woodcock dinner, do it proper.

I’ve a confession: I haven’t all the time appreciated grits. My first encounters with grits have been of the moment form. Very like prompt rice, steam-in-the-bag veggies, and just about the whole lot else designed to get rid of labor from cooking, prompt grits aren’t excellent. That assertion could seem unremarkable to these of you who didn’t develop up within the southeast, however this was a giant deal throughout my childhood. Loving grits was anticipated of me, and the truth that I didn’t should imply I’m not an actual southerner.

I’ll always remember after I had my grits epiphany. It was a uncommon frosty morning in early November within the South Carolina upstate. I had spent the previous few hours regretting the earlier evening’s festivities and my clothes selections in a deer stand on a university pal’s household farm. As soon as the truck warmed up and our extremities thawed, my buddy drove us to a spot referred to as Grits and Groceries. There, on the crossroads of SC 185 and Path Street, a surly waitress scoffed at my request for hashbrowns to be served alongside my over-medium eggs and sausage. I used to be a little bit too hungover to argue about it, so grits was what I obtained, together with a blown thoughts.

Within the following years, I completed school and moved into my first condo with my now-wife. As we cooked extra meals at residence, I attempted to recreate the feel and style of these grits in my very own kitchen, failing miserably the primary hundred or so instances. I fell into the entice that so many do, considering that creamy grits require the addition of heavy cream or cheese or some mixture of the 2. Nope. Like most issues in life, time, consideration, and plenty of observe produce a worthwhile outcome. 

Creating memorable grits additionally advantages from the primary cooking tip I give anybody who asks me: don’t stroll away from the pan. That is a type of recipes that requires a drink and a favourite album taking part in within the background; you’re gonna be on the range for a bit. 

WARNING: When you’re French, or your opinions on cooking might go for these of somebody from France, it’s best to in all probability cease studying. I’m about to instruct you to dredge woodcock breasts in yellow mustard.

One other factor I realized in school within the nice state of South Carolina is that there exists a meals preparation generally known as “mustard-fried.” I used to be skeptical the primary time I watched a pal bathe venison dice steaks in yellow mustard, then dredge them in seasoned flour earlier than decreasing them into smoking sizzling peanut oil. It took me all of half a second to develop into awestruck after making an attempt a chunk. I made a decision to do this out on woodcock as a result of I assumed the acidity of the mustard would distinction effectively with the earthiness of the fowl. I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. 

The mustard/woodcock mixture is unquestionably one thing I’ll be exploring additional. For the breader, I exploit Moss’ Rooster breader from Buffaloe Milling (I additionally used their yellow grits for the opposite half of this recipe). The great people in Kittrell, NC, don’t know I’m penning this, and Venture Upland isn’t receiving something in return. However in case you’re gonna give the total southern foodways remedy to a woodcock, you would possibly as effectively do it proper. 

Woodcock and Grits

Will Newell

Give woodcock a correct southern remedy with this mustard-fried preparation

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 50 minutes minutes

Whole Time 1 hour hr

Course Major Course

Delicacies American, Southern

Servings 4

Energy 688 kcal

• 2 cups yellow grits
• 8 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• Sprint Worcestershire sauce
• Sprint Tabasco sauce
• 4 tbsp salted butter divided
• Salt to style
• 4-6 woodcock breast fillets from 2-3 birds
• 2 tbsp French’s yellow mustard
• 2 cups hen breader aka breading
• 4 cups peanut oil for frying
• 4 oz nation ham finely diced
• 1 stalk celery finely diced
• ½ bell pepper finely diced
• ½ medium onion finely diced
• 2 tbsp recent thyme
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 quart hen broth
• 2 cups recent candy potato greens washed totally (use no matter is native and in-season, however don’t @ me in case you use spinach)
• Scallion tops for garnish

For the grits

• Add 2 tbsp salt and the bay leaves to a big pot with the water and produce to a boil. Stir within the grits and boil for 1 minute, then scale back warmth to low.

• Stir the grits steadily with a silicone scraper, taking care to unstick any bits from the underside of the pot.

• Proceed stirring for 30-40 minutes when you cube the veggies and nation ham.

• When the grits start to face on their very own after stirring (you’ll begin seeing the underside of the pot once you stir with the scraper), add the Worcestershire, Tabasco, and a pair of tbsp butter.

• Cowl the pot and place on a warming station.

For the gravy

• In a heavy-bottomed skillet, warmth 2 tbsp peanut oil till shimmering. Then, add the candy potato greens and wilt till they’re contracted by not less than half. Sprinkle with a splash of salt after which set them apart on a plate.

• Add 1 tbsp of peanut oil to the pan and warmth till shimmering, then add the diced nation ham and saute till browned on all sides and fond is starting to develop.

• Add the diced greens and thyme and saute till translucent, about 2 minutes (in case you like a darker gravy, prolong this a bit till the fond develops additional).

• Sprinkle the greens with the all-purpose flour. Stir to include.

• Slowly whisk within the hen broth, a half cup at a time, till you’ve used not less than 2 cups.

• Scale back warmth to the bottom setting and stir often when you fry the woodcock breasts.

For the woodcock

• Fill a forged iron skillet with peanut oil about 1 inch up the edges. Warmth the oil to 400-425 F.

• Put together 2 bowls for breading, one with the mustard and one with the breader.

• Bathe woodcock breasts in yellow mustard, then dredge them via the breader.

• Gently place the breasts within the sizzling oil, turning them with tongs till they develop a golden brown exterior.

• Take away the breasts and place on a paper towel to empty.

To plate

• Fill a shallow serving bowl with the grits. Tilt the bowl in a 360-degree movement to make sure the grits are evenly distributed.

• Place a mattress of the wilted candy potato greens on high of the grits.

• High the greens with thinly sliced woodcock breast.

• Spoon gravy excessive, garnish with scallion, and revel in!

Energy: 688kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 20gFats: 26gSaturated Fats: 11gPolyunsaturated Fats: 4gMonounsaturated Fats: 9gTrans Fats: 0.5gLdl cholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1653mgPotassium: 493mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2614IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 4mg