Photo credit: Forrest Clonts
This dish is the first cousin to the popular shrimp and grits. It was created to accommodate observant customers who keep kosher and do not eat shellfish at Charleston, South Carolina's popular seafood restaurant Hyman's. The trick to this dish is to cook “the grit out of the grits” and to cook low and slow, making sure that the grits do not burn.
Ingredients
Servings 4 servings
Salmon
- 4 Fresh salmon filets
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cajun seasoning optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Grits
- 1 cup locally milled grits
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups of water or milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 beaten egg yolk
- Any fine-grained breading or cornmeal and flour
White sauce
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 stick of butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
- 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
- Paprika
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Salmon and Grits
Amount per Serving
Calories
966
% Daily Value*
Fat
67
g
103
%
Saturated Fat
34
g
213
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
7
g
Monounsaturated Fat
20
g
Cholesterol
289
mg
96
%
Sodium
2834
mg
123
%
Potassium
1055
mg
30
%
Carbohydrates
39
g
13
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
51
g
102
%
Vitamin A
1912
IU
38
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
429
mg
43
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
To make the salmon:
- Sprinkle the salmon filets with kosher salt (and Cajun seasoning, if using), and drizzle the olive oil on to the filets. Broil or bake the filets in a conventional oven for 8–10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the salmon.
To make the grits:
- Put 1 cup of grits into 2 cups salted boiling water until the water returns to a boil. Turn down to simmer, add butter, and cook slowly, stirring constantly and adding water so that it doesn’t burn.
To make a grit cake:
- Prepare the grits and put the grits in a greased sheet pan overnight. Once it has hardened, you can cut out round cakes. Brush the beaten egg yolks over both sides of the grit cake. Dip into the breading. Fry the grit cake in a cast iron skillet.
To make the white sauce:
- Add the broth, milk, cream, and butter to a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper for 1 minute. Whisk in the parmesan cheese until melted.
- Put the salmon over grits or grit cake. Pour the sauce over the salmon. Shake a little Cajun season- ing or paprika on top for color.
Notes
Excerpted from KUGELS & COLLARDS: STORIES OF FOOD, FAMILY, AND TRADITION IN JEWISH SOUTH CAROLINA by Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey. © 2023 Used by permission of the University of South Carolina Press.
